A Family like Ours: Sequel to People like Us
by justginger
Summary: He is the 'toast of Hollywood' and she is his queen, but their lives are not a fairytale. With children, real life and someone who is trying to break them apart, Edward and Bella will need to fight for their Happily Ever After. From the red carpet, to the bedroom to the playroom, can their love survive? **HEA** OOC/AH. CANON COUPLES
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:**** All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family Like Ours is mine.**

**WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS BDSM, EXPLICIT SEX SCENES & STRONG LANGUAGE. This story is strictly NC17!**

**A/N:**

**Dear readers,**

**Welcome to the sequel of People like Us, aptly named, A Family like Ours. We will get reacquainted with our favorite characters and we are going to meet some new ones, but first I need to 'set the scene' as it were:**

**This story takes place about 17 years after People like Us ended. Edward and Bella are coming up for their twenty year anniversary and their family has expanded somewhat.**

**PRIMARY CHARACTERS/ AGES:**

Edward and Jasper now own a music empire. Their label is one of the most popular and every new and upcoming singer/band wants to have their records produced by 'Rocking Horse Records'.

Bella is a renowned artist and photographer although she rarely attends any of her showings as she tries to stay home with the children.

EDWARD – 45

BELLA – 42

JACKSON & ALEXIS – 19

NICHOLAS – 18

SAMUEL MASEN (AKA SAM) – 16

ELIZABETH ALICE & ANDREA ROSE – 10 (FRATERNAL TWIN GIRLS)

MAXWELL (AKA MAX) – 4

*ΩafloΩ*

Emmett and Rosalie live at Cullen Crest where Emmett has been running the vineyard for the past twenty years. Rosalie owns a chain of Interior Design stores.

EMMETT – 48

ROSALIE – 46

JOSHUA – 20

JARED – 19

MCCARTHY (MC) – 14

REBECCA – 6

*ΩafloΩ*

THE WHITLOCKS

While Jasper works with Edward, Alice's fashion designs are in demand all over the world. She still works from her studio on the ranch, and her production line is run in the town.

JASPER – 47

ALICE – 44

TIFFANY ANNE – 18

CHRISTOPHER HEATH – 17

DANIEL JASPER – 16

*ΩafloΩ*

CARLISLE CULLEN - 67

ESME CULLEN – 64

*ΩafloΩ*

CHARLIE SWAN – 65

SUE CLEARWATER SWAN – 60

*ΩafloΩ*

Seth is the district attorney for Sonoma County. He married Jesse and they live in nearby Rutherford.

SETH CLEARWATER-SWAN – 37

JESSE CLEARWATER-SWAN – 35

CASEY CLEARWATER-SWAN – 7

ISABELLE CLEARWATER-SWAN – 4

*ΩafloΩ*

Garrett and Kate live in Sausalito and Garrett owns a string of clubs, one of which, DAWN RISING, is a BDSM CLUB in San Francisco as well as BREAKING DAWN and RISING MOON on the West Coast. Kate is a stay at home mother.

GARRETT NOMAD – 55

KATE NOMAD – 49

STEVEN – 18

KIRSTY – 10

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 1**

Bella forced herself to count to ten and she took a deep breath as she tried to refocus her attention on the paintings in front of her.

She had a show coming up in the fall and she was falling behind. Reilly had been adamant that he want thirty pieces this time and was trying to select the paintings that she wanted to show as well as the photographs that would be a part of her mixed medium show.

'_GET AWAY MAX!'_

'_I DON'T GOTTA HAFTA! SOOO THEREEEE!'_

'_MAX! STOP SPITTING – I'M TELLING MOM! I HATE YOU, YOU LITTLE BRAT! WE WISH THAT YOU WOULD JUST DISAPPEAR – GO! WE DON'T WANT YOU HERE, MAX!'_

Bella sighed, she was sick of the tension that had seemed to materialize almost overnight between the ten year old twins and Max, her almost four year old 'baby'. And of course it had happened from almost the moment that Edward had left.

She tried to ignore the sound of the raised voices but the sound of more doors slamming had her flying out of her studio and into the hallway.

"What is going on here?" Bella demanded as she rounded the corner into a suddenly empty hallway.

A door down the hall opened and Elisabeth Alice put her head out. Her wide brown eyes stared at her mother with trepidation. Everyone in the house knew not to disturb mom when she was busy painting.

"It's Max, Mom, he won't leave Andrea, Becky and me alone!" she complained.

Bella shook her head, "Elisabeth Alice, he is little and you should know better than to slam any doors in this house! Now, I asked you and your sister to watch him and you said that you would!" Bella suddenly noticed that the house was very quiet – too quiet and she frowned.

"Where are your brothers and sister? They were going to arrange a ride for everyone and Jack mentioned something about taking everyone out for pizza."

Elisabeth bit her lip; they were in big trouble now! Behind her door, her twin sister Andrea rolled her eyes as she pushed her younger twin (by three minutes) gently out of the way.

"Mom! Honestly, you can't expect us to be stuck with a baby like Max! And anyway he is a smelly little stinky!" she said triumphantly as her sister and cousin giggled behind her.

Bella felt her irritation and anger rise as she stared into her daughter's defiant eyes.

"Andrea Rose! You will not speak about your brother like that! Rebecca is only two years older than him, so what makes him a baby and her big girl?" Bella was so over trying to keep the peace.

"Well, Becky is a girl and she is fun and she doesn't have cooties!" Mother and child glared at each other.

The constant bickering had been going on for almost three weeks now, and she was sick of it.

"That's it! Find your siblings and tell them that I am calling a family meeting right now in the den" Andrea opened her mouth to protest but she snapped it shut quickly when she saw the fiery look in her mother's eyes.

"Fine! But what about Daddy? He should be here and he is gonna be so mad at you for being mean to us on our vacation!" Andrea said as she stalked down the hallway towards Nicholas' room.

"Andrea! Do not back-chat me, young lady, or else you will be punished!" Bella snapped.

"Fine! But I don't know where Jackson and Alexis are – I think they went off with Josh and Jared."

Bella bit back a frustrated sigh.

She pointed towards her older children's bedroom doors.

'NICK!" Andrea shouted as she banged on the closed door before she turned and tossed her mother a defiant glare. _She would show her!_

Bella hissed at the shout and she shook her head as she headed into her room for a quick shower.

As Bella washed paint and sweat off her body and out of her hair, she wondered what Edward was doing. He had been away for three weeks in the recording studios in Los Angeles this time and she was more than ready for him to come home.

Bella dried herself off and glanced in the full length mirror as she took out fresh underwear. She wasn't bad looking for forty-two years old and the mother of seven children! In the twenty years that she and Edward had been married, she had put on about five pounds or so. Her stomach and hips were softer and rounder, but she was still able to wear a bikini, much to her children's embarrassment and her husband's lecherous delight.

A knock at the door had Bella pulling the sundress over her head quickly. She slipped on a pair of sandals and ran a hand through her wet hair.

She had cut it a few years ago, after Max was born but she had been growing it for the past year again.

She opened her door and saw her seventeen year old son Samuel standing there, "Mom, what's going on? Nick says he is busy and so he sent me to see what was wrong and the girls are outside doing cartwheels on the lawn, so what can I do to help you?"

Bella smiled at the handsome man-boy. He was a combination of her and Edward. He had Edward's green eyes and her dark hair. His lanky build and height was all his father, but his easy smile and slight shyness was all Bella.

"Thank you, son, but I want everyone in this family meeting. I need to make my final selection for the show – Reilly is sending the transporters tomorrow, but for some reason your sisters have declared war on Max and they have been slamming doors and shouting – wait, how come you didn't hear them?"

Sam shrugged; "I was in the dark room, developing those pictures that I took yesterday morning, sorry Mom."

Bella put an arm around his slim waist and hugged him, "It's okay, Sam, you have done more than your fair share around here to help me – it's Jackson, Nic and Alexis that are really for it – they volunteered to look after the young ones today! I don't know why I agreed to have everyone here today, but Ali and Rose had those meetings in town today – oh well, it can't be helped."

Sam nodded, "I'll try to get hold of everyone and tell them to come home." He pulled his phone out and quickly sent a message to his oldest brother. Jack and Lexi were always pulling this shit with their mother! Just because they had been away at college, they acted as if they had no responsibility here at home. It pissed him off that no one seemed to be concerned about his mother's welfare.

Anger burned inside as Sam remembered how he had tried to tell his father about what was going on at home, but some douche had answered his phone and had told Sam that 'Mr. Cullen was too busy to talk'. Asshole!

Sam couldn't remember when last his father had been home with them for longer than a weekend, when he spent hours sleeping in any case.

He pushed his dark thoughts away as he glanced over at his mother. He hated the bleak, sad look in her eyes that she tried to hide for their sakes.

They walked downstairs together as Sam told Bella about the photographs that he had developed earlier.

As they stepped into the entrance hall, the front door burst open and a football sailed past Bella's head and missed hitting the large mirror that hung on the wall by inches.

"_HEY!" _

Josh, Emmett's and Rosalie's twenty year old son, his nineteen year old brother Jared and their younger brother, McCarthy, or MC as he was called, bounded in only to skid to a halt as Bella shouted. She could see Jackson, Alexis and Alice and Jasper's son, Heath, who had turned seventeen as well as their daughter, Tiffany Ann who was eighteen and their younger brother Daniel, standing in the doorway.

"Joshua Cullen, since when do you play ball inside the house? What are you – five? You all complain about Maxwell, but you are all worse than him – in the den – NOW!" Bella put on hand on her hip and pointed in the direction of the family den.

With a few muttered grumbles, everyone walked passed Bella and Sam, who was smirking until Jackson glared at him and snarled, "Pussy!" at him.

Bella's hand shot out and she glared at her oldest child, "Jackson that is enough. Do you understand me?"

For a moment it seemed as though he was going to argue with her but then his green eyes softened, "Sorry Mom," his eyes flicked to his younger brother, "Sorry Bud, you know I didn't mean it." He said as he hooked an arm around Sam's shoulder and he dragged him into the den.

Nicholas finally made his way downstairs and he looked up in surprise at the sight of his siblings and cousins all waiting for a dressing down from his pint sized mother. The thought made him smirk as he threw himself onto the spare sofa.

Bella walked outside and called the younger girls while Bella's housekeeper Evie Ross handed cans of soda to the others.

"You have really made Mrs. C mad this time!" she scolded mildly.

Joshua smirked at her, knowing that his smile melted women's hearts all over the country, "Aaaw come on now Miss Eve, you know we didn't mean it."

Evie shook her head at the impossibly good-looking young man, "Don't you even try to pull your sexy smexy nonsense here, Joshua, you just keep that for those fan girls of yours," she warned just as Bella was ushering the three girls inside.

"Evie, you don't have to feed them! They are all old enough to look after themselves, with the exception of Max and Rebecca." Bella said with disapproval.

_It was high time that she began to teach her children a lesson!_ Edward was far too indulgent with them and just because they were all doing well in school and college didn't mean that they could just have carte blanche on everything else!

"I have got a job to do just like everyone else in this family and just because I work from home, does not mean that you can all just come and go as you please, while not taking some responsibility to for your younger sisters and brother!"

Nicholas looked at his mother with a scowl as he ran his hand through his hair, "Yeah but we are on vacation". The simple gesture made Bella's heart ache. While Jackson looked more like Edward, Nicholas was perhaps the most like him in mannerisms and personality.

Bella swung around and glared at her son, "_Excuse me?_ The way that things are around here, it seems that you are permanently on vacation!"

She looked back at the rest of her children and the assortment of nieces and nephews that were littered around the room.

"I have a dead line! I need to finish selecting and then packaging thirty paintings and photographs and have them ready for transport tomorrow morning and I can't if I have to listen to screaming, bickering and doors slamming all damn day!"

Elisabeth gasped but she quickly bit her lip as her mother turned to look at her with raised eyebrows, "What is it Elisabeth?" Beth turned bright pink as she whispered something under her breath. Nicholas heard her and he put an arm around her protectively as he chuckled.

"I didn't hear you?" she said impatiently. She knew that Elisabeth was far more sensitive and quiet than her outgoing and combative twin, who seemed to take after her Aunt Alice with her tantrums and her spoilt ways, but Bella was just not in the mood to coax a response out of her daughter.

Nick nudged Beth gently and she spoke a little louder, "You need to put five dollars in the curse jar" she said quietly. Nick was very protective over his younger sisters, and he had a very close bond with Elizabeth.

Everyone looked at Bella and nodded before they began to laugh.

Suddenly the tension was broken as Bella joined in the laughter, "No, you always do this, you guys! I'm angry with you and then somehow we end up laughing and you don't think that I'm serious. Josh, would you, Jared and MC pull this stunt on your mother?"

Bella almost laughed outright at the look of fear that crossed the brother's faces. Joshua was almost as tall as Emmett at six foot four inches, while Jared was just one inch shorter. McCarthy had some catching up to do but Bella knew that it wouldn't be long before he too was over six feet tall and yet they were terrified of Rosalie.

Being Emmett's wife and mother to his three rambunctious sons meant that she had to be as tough as a drill sergeant. She never threatened – she just metered out punishment and the Cullen children knew not to mess with Aunt Rosie.

Bella raised her eyebrows as she waited for the boys to answer.

"No Ma'am" Joshua said quickly.

Bella nodded, "Well then, do you think that you can respect my wishes and help out a bit?"

"Yes, Ma'am," he said again, this time with a smirk and a twinkle in his eyes.

Bella rolled her eyes at him, "Okay, then. Now, can you please take everyone, and I mean everyone in this room out for a horse ride and some pizza or whatever you were going to do?"

Jackson stood up and walked over to Bella. The summer had just begun but he could see how stressed his mother was. They all hated when his father was away, which seemed to be more often than not nowadays and he made a mental note to call his dad.

_It was summer, for god sakes and he should be home!_ He also knew that Edward would be pissed as hell if he didn't step up and help, but seriously, he hadn't asked his parents to make like rabbits and breed seven children! _What the fuck where they thinking?_

He smirked to himself as he realized that of course, they hadn't been thinking with their heads – gross!

"Mom, why don't you go on back upstairs? We got this, I promise. We will make sure that everyone is dressed and out of here in ten minutes and then we will go out for dinner. We will even make sure that the 'minis' bath and get to bed, okay?"

'Minis' was what the older siblings called their three younger ones.

Bella sighed and nodded, "Thank you Sweetheart. I just want to finish this and then I can be free to enjoy the rest of summer with you all."

Tiffany had also stood and she hugged her aunt, "You need to chill, Aunt Bella; you are too uptight. You should go and visit Nana tonight or something."

Bella kissed her nieces dark hair and smiled, "Thanks, Tiff, I may just do that."

Just then Bella looked around, "Hold on, where is Max?"

Just then the front door opened and Bella heard Bart Ross call out to her, "We're in the den Bart!"

Bart was very tall and well-built and having spent his college years playing football and being a bouncer over weekends, he was well suited to handle the rambunctious teenagers. He was a blacksmith and carpenter and when he spent most of his time on the ranch or in his workshop. His creations sold well and he was always busy on some project or order.

Bart and Eve were from the Midwest and he was very comfortable being a cowboy.

Bart walked into the den. He was holding his Stetson in one hand and he had one hand on a very disgruntled looking Maxwell, who was carrying his 'mooki', a large furry cow that he had since his first birthday, that he loved and a small suitcase.

Bella looked from one to the other, "Max? Where are you going?"

His angry gaze looked from one twin sister to the other and then over to his cousin, "To Nana and Pops! I don't wanna stay here no more! B'coz they," he pointed at the three little girls, "are just meanies and I'm tellin'!"

Bella smiled at Bart, "Thanks Bart, I hope that he wasn't too much trouble."

Bart shook his head, "He never is, but he was walking along the road towards the gate and I was just worried that someone might not see him,"

"Because I'm too little!" the boy burst out as his eyes filled with tears, "No one wants to play with me!"

Jackson moved over to his little brother and picked him up, "Aww, you know that's not true, Max-Max. We love you and we definitely want to play with you! I was going to come and find you to see if you wanted to go for a ride on Trigger with the guys and me, and then we are going to town for pizza. What do you say?"

Max looked at his older siblings and his cousins for confirmation. They all made a point of nodding and adding to Jackson's request.

"Yeah, come on Max, you know that I'm a little afraid of Daisy, will you ride next to me?" Alexis added.

Max bit his lip, just like his mother did, "I donno Lexi, I'm wif the guys…" he looked at his brothers.

Jackson pretended to think about it, before he leaned closer to whisper in Max's ear.

Max nodded and grinned at his brother who he idolized, "Kay! Lexi, I'll ride wif you, but only to the creek and then I'm wif the guys, okay?"

Alexia smiled and kissed his little cheek, "Thanks Max, come one let's go and get changed." She took Max from Jackson and walked to the stairs.

Just as the others were going to follow, Jackson stopped the three little girls, "Hey you three minis – it's not cool to tease and fight with Max. He is a cool kid and he is younger than you. You know that we take care of our own."

Becky and Beth looked contrite and said that they would apologize to Max. Jackson stared at Andrea and raised his eyebrow at her, "Drea? What do you say?"

Andrea looked torn but when she saw that all three of her older brothers were staring at her in disapproval she sighed dramatically, "Oh, okay! But you know that he is a pain sometimes!"

Samuel was quick to answer her, "Yeah? Well so are you sometimes, but we don't kick you out of the den or the rec room if we are there – we always look after you when our friends come over, so you should do the same!"

Andrea looked ashamed and she agreed to apologize and mean it!

Bella thanked her older children and after she checked that they had their credit cards, Bella went back into her studio. The theme of this showcase was called _Letting Go_, which Bella had begun almost two years before, when Jackson and Alexis were getting ready to leave for college.

Bella had never fully understood how painful it was to let her children go 'into the world' and she had been shocked the previous year when Rosalie had almost gone into depression after Joshua left for UCLA. The difference had been that Josh was almost an old hand at being separated from his parents because he had been acting since the age of twelve.

He was one of the hottest young stars in Hollywood at the moment and Rosalie, Emmett and the rest of the family worked hard to keep him grounded. Surprisingly, Bella's father Charlie and his wife Sue had been the ones to step in as Joshua's guardian in the early years.

Charlie and Sue moved to a small home on the outskirts of Saint Helena, about ten years before, when Charlie had retired. Carlisle had offered to build a home for them on Cullen Crest land, but Charlie had refused as politely as possible. He said that 'farm life' was far too tame for an old cop like himself, and they needed the 'bright lights' of the town.

Shortly after that, Charlie and Sue had bought a pretty gingerbread style house that had a pretty 'English' style garden that Sue loved to cultivate and soon the air around their home was filled with the smell of roses, lavender, honeysuckle, sweet pea, other perennials and various herbs and vegetables that she grew in pots near the back door.

When Joshua had been approached by a Hollywood scout, for the pilot of a new Disney Channel series, it had been Charlie that had volunteered to be his chaperone.

He and Sue had done a wonderful job of taking care of the young actor. They had travelled with him throughout eight years of filming and so when Jared had been asked to model the previous year, the couple had been the obvious choice to send with him to New York.

What had shocked Bella the most was how she had almost fallen to pieces when her oldest children had packed their bags for college the previous fall.

Bella had cried for a week after she and Edward had said goodbye to Jackson at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland and then they had flown with Alexis to Los Angeles, where she was going to study Architecture at UCLA.

Thankfully Jared, Emmett's and Rose's second son had chosen to go to Yale to study law and Bella was comforted that Jackson wasn't alone on the East Coast, even though they were almost five hours away from each other.

Nicholas was going to be leaving for Stanford in the fall, to begin his MBA in business. He loved business deals and while his cousins looked good in front of a camera, young Nicholas sat right beside their agents as deals were brokered. At first no one gave a second thought to the suggestions of the boy until Aro, Edward's now elderly agent had listened to what he had to say and Aro had been astounded at how astute he was. After that, Nicholas often spent time with his 'uncle' as he was mentored in the world of Hollywood business. He had decided to stay on the West Coast to be closer to his mentor.

Bella had felt the 'loss' of her growing children, nieces and nephews acutely and as always her pain had been transformed onto canvass and into film.

Bella looked at the wall in her studio at the black and white photographs of her family. They really were the most beautiful family in the world and people could not believe that every single member of their family was more beautiful than the next.

Bella sighed as she gazed at a photograph of Edward that she had taken earlier that year. He was dressed in black and had not shaved in a couple of days. He looked serious and sexy. Bella bit her lip, he_ looked_ like a Dominant.

With a shake of her head, Bella turned towards her paintings once more. She refused to think about that. She couldn't change anything. That ship had sailed over eighteen months before, she reminded herself.

_There is no Master and Isabella! She was no longer a submissive; she was no longer _his_ submissive._

There were no collars or playtime; that had ended and it was over and she had to accept it!

Bella realized that she was crying when the tears blinded her sight and she cursed under her breath and dashed the tears off her cheeks impatiently.

"What is the point of crying, idiot? Move-on dot org, Isabella!" she whispered to herself.

Perhaps she should make an appointment to speak to Paul for a couple of sessions.

Even though she and Edward no longer played and as such she wasn't his submissive, Bella could not stop the pain and longing that she felt to feel her Master's touch once more.

After Maxwell was born, Bella had suffered from a mild form of Postpartum Depression and anxiety and she had gone into therapy with Paul for almost a year.

During that time Edward had not pressured her to play, nor had he suggested it and weeks turned into months.

The first time back in the playroom had not gone well and Bella had safe worded after 5 minutes.

When Bella had felt better enough to go back into the playroom, Edward had informed her, quite coldly that he didn't 'feel' like it and so she had pushed her desire to be dominated down.

After listening to his excuses, which ranged from being too tired, to being too busy, to not being in the mood, Bella had finally stopped asking and her collars were only worn as decoration. The first time that she had worn her white gold necklace, she had hoped that Edward would react, but he had only kissed her shoulder and told her how lovely she looked.

Bella had hidden her tears from him.

When Alice had asked why she and Edward no longer attended munches or play parties, Bella had begun to lie because it was too difficult to tell the truth.

Her Dominant no longer desired to have her as his submissive.

Their sex life had remained healthy, or as healthy as it could be under the circumstances. When Edward wasn't travelling and they were not rushed off their feet with seven children, they had made love at least 3 or 4 times a week.

Bella snorted, if one could call it that. Yes, the man could use his dick like a missile and he could bring her to climax repeatedly, but there was no hot, unrefined, rough sex like before.

Edward treated her like a Dresden China Doll. She had found out after she had given birth to Maxwell that her womb had prolapsed and after continuous pain and bleeding, it had been recommended that Bella have a hysterectomy.

Bella knew that it was partly her fault that there was such a distance between her and Edward. She had been so weak! Her doctors had attributed her depression to the change of hormones in her body, but even when things had gotten better and she had healed first physically and then emotionally and mentally, Edward had never treated her the same way again.

He refused to spank her or discipline her in any way. Instead he acted as if she was going to fall apart at any moment.

Bella reached back as she pulled her hair up into an untidy bun and she looked at the next painting.

She had painted it just after Uncle Nicholas had passed away.

The two great-uncles had lived to the ripe age of 97 before Nicholas had passed away one night in his sleep, after they had played a round of all night poker with heir cronies in Las Vegas.

After the family had laid him to rest, Ernest had come back to stay with Esme and Carlisle and a week later, Esme had gone looking for her uncle, only to discover that Ernest had died as he sat on a bench in the garden.

Bella smiled at the painting of Ernest on the banks of a river watching his brother and lifelong best friend rowing away from him.

When Bella had shown the rough sketch to Ernest, he had laughed and told her that Nick was useless with a pair of oars and he would probably have drowned himself!

Bella had pretended not to see the tears in the old man's eyes as he spoke his brother's name.

With a shake of her head, Bella slipped on her 'reading' glasses and concentrated on the proofs once more.

For the next few hours she completed her selections before she began to carefully wrap her pictures. When the transport company arrived, they would crate up the valuable artwork before the crates would be shipped to New York for Reilly's perusal.

Bella's stomach rumbled, reminding her that she hadn't eaten since breakfast and she stood up and stretched her aching back.

Just then the intercom phone rang and she answered it.

"Hello?"

"Hey Bella, I'm heading home now, I just wanted to remind you that dinner is in the oven and the salads are in the fridge." Evie's disembodied voice sounded.

Bella laughed as she opened her door, "Thanks Evie, I'm on my way down now, and I'm starving!"

Bella walked downstairs and she smiled at the quiet. The house was seldom quiet anymore. With seven children between the ages of 19 and 4, there was rarely a quiet moment. Truth be told though, Bella reveled in the noise.

She loved to hear the sound of the boys playing Xbox or other games and the girls laughing or the sound of Max's high-pitched, excited voice mixed with Edward's deep laughter.

She felt lonelier than she would care to admit as she walked into her large kitchen. She had it remodeled a few years before and she loved the feeling of serenity and homeliness that she felt whenever she was in it.

Evie stood at the counter with a glass of white wine in her hand.

"Drinking on the job?" Bella teased.

Evie laughed, "I wish, no I thought that you would enjoy a glass with your dinner."

Eve and Bart Ross were an African American couple in their mid-30's that had been with the Cullen household for the past five years, right after Maggie and Reggie had retired to Florida.

Over the years Evie and Bart had become good friends and they loved Edward and Bella's children as if they were their own. Evie had not been able to have children and she loved taking care of the large group of children that were always congregated at the Cullen's home.

"Thanks Evie, I'll take it from here. I think the kids should be back soon."

Evie smiled, "They came home to change after their ride and I can see why Rosalie does not let the boys and Becky stay home alone – those boys are impossible! As for the mess that they left behind…" Evie laughed as she shook her head of curls.

"You need to put your foot down when we are overrun with kids, Evie. You let them get away with murder." Bella scolded, but she knew that she was talking for nothing.

"I'll see you tomorrow Bella. Have you heard when Edward is coming home yet?"

A look of pain passed over Bella's face as she shook her head, "Not today, but hopefully it will be soon."

Evie cursed herself for having brought up Edward's name, but he had been gone for over three weeks straight!

As she walked out of the kitchen, her eyes landed on the large manila envelope on the table.

"Oh Bella? An envelope was hand delivered for your attention this afternoon."

Bella turned from where she had dished her dinner up and she frowned.

"That's odd; there are no courier markings on it and there is no waybill. Who delivered it?"

Evie shrugged, "A young guy in a white plain panel van."

Bella stared at the large brown envelope with the words: PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL – FOR ATTENTION MRS. ISABELLA CULLEN ONLY and she felt a wave of nervousness role over her.

"Huh. Okay well, thanks Eve, I'll see you tomorrow."

"Night Bella."

Eve watched as Bella carried her plate to the large table in the middle of the kitchen. She looked small and lonesome at the table that could and regularly did seat twenty people.

"You want me to stay tonight?" Evie asked.

Bella looked up with the television remote in her hand, "Are you crazy? I love this quiet time! I can catch up on all of the shows that I never watch! Go home before Bart comes looking for you!"

Once Eve had left, Bella turned the television on and she gasped when she saw that that the host and hostess of a Hollywood news channel was talking about Edward, because there on the forty two inch television was a photograph of Edward – and her.

Bella quickly rewound the broadcast and she watched with growing apprehension.

"_Hey everyone! You are tuned into HOLLYWOOD INSIDER! The story that everyone is talking about is – Has the sun finally set on Cullen's Camelot? Yes, J we are talking about the "Prince of Hollywood" who has reigned supreme with his 'princess' for more than twenty years. Has Edward Cullen finally lost the keys to 'Camelot'? Has his princess grown too old for him? Is he looking for a new, improved 'lady-in-waiting'? Well if these photographs are anything to go by, then it seems that our Price has found someone to make him smile and laugh in a way that we haven't seen in a few years –"_

The pretty co-host chuckled, _"Maybe with seven or however many kids running around, Bella doesn't have time for her prince any longer? Or maybe she is still feeling depressed and fragile?" _ The two sniggered nastily but Bell had stopped listening.

She hit the pause button as she stared at the three photographs side by side. One picture had been taken when they had first appeared on the red carpet together and their love was almost tangible. The middle picture was taken about five months before when they had attended Edward's latest premier and sadness cloaked both Edward and Bella like a shield and the last photo, which was obviously recent, showed Edward looking happy and carefree as he laughed with someone that stood off to the side of the camera.

Bella hit the 'play' button with shaking fingers as she swallowed the feeling of nausea that was rising in her stomach.

"… _Well whoever she is, oh yes, John, the mystery person is definitely 'she'. As I said whoever she is, she seems to have brought out a side of the austere Mister Cullen that we haven't seen in a long time. You better watch out, Bella, your prince could be leaving for greener pastures while you sit in your ivory tower and paint…"_

The two co-hosts laughed at their 'inside' joke.

Bella switched the television set off.

She was hurt by the crass and thoughtless comments of the presenters even though she knew that it was just her bad luck that she happened to see that episode and Edward had warned her countless times not to listen to anything that came out of Hollywood, she couldn't stop the self-doubt and insecurity from creeping in.

To distract herself, she went into the sitting room after she had washed her dishes and disposed of her largely uneaten dinner and she attempted to read for a while.

The envelope lay forgotten on the kitchen table.

At some point the children came home and she could hear Tiffany and Alexis steer the three younger girls upstairs to bath, while Nicholas came in and told her that Jackson and Sam would make sure that Max was bathed and put to bed.

Nicholas sat on the sofa next to Bella with his arm around her shoulder and frowned. She looked sad and fragile.

"Mom?"

"Yeah?"

"Is everything okay?" he asked gently.

Bella smiled at him, "Of course! Don't mind me, honey, I'm just missing your dad, but he'll be home soon."

Bella looked at her second son. He was so handsome, she thought with a smile. He had piercing blue eyes and dark brown hair. His chiseled jaw and lips were all Edward. Bella had noticed that Nick had become more and more withdraw over the past few months, but when she had voiced her concerns to Edward, he had told her that Nicholas was just being a typical eighteen year old.

"Nicholas, is everything okay with you? You seem a little quiet lately."

They smiled at each other because of all his siblings, he was the most quiet.

Nick's smile faded and he sighed softly. How could he tell her? He had his suspicions about her and that made his secret even worse.

He leaned closer and kissed her temple gently, "It's nothing for you to worry about Mom."

Bella frowned, "But I do worry, Son. You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

Nick nodded as he stood up and moved to the door, this conversation couldn't go any further.

"I know Mom. Thanks." He said with a familiar crooked smile that squeezed her heart.

Bella sat staring out of the French doors for a long time after Nicholas joined his cousins and siblings in the games room.

She knew that something was remiss but she couldn't put her finger on what it was.

She signed in frustration and after turning off the lights, Bella checked on her younger children.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella smiled as she tenderly brush a few tendrils of coppery chestnut hair off Elizabeth's face. Her room was still very much a 'little girl's room', which pleased Edward tremendously. He hated the thought of his 'babies' growing up too fast. Beth's room was pink and pretty, with girly cushions and pictures. Bella shook her head at the Justin Bieber poster on her wall and she knew that Edward would say something about it when he got home.

Beth's room was neat as a pin, with her dirty clothes put into her hamper and all of her toys packed away neatly.

Instead of sleeping in the trundle bed, Rebecca was asleep next to her favorite cousin.

Rebecca was the most beautiful child that Bella had ever seen and she wasn't the only person to think so. Instead of being blonde like her brothers, Becky had her father's brown locks that fell down her back in riotous curls. Her eyes were ice blue and quite startling, but instead of being a brat or vain, Rebecca was sweet, kind and loving.

Bella tucked the duvet around her shoulders and kissed her forehead before she walked through the adjoining bathroom into Andrea's room.

Bella gave a sigh. The room looked like a disaster area with clothes, toys and CD's strewn all around. The room was decorated in black and pink with a distinctly punk rock theme. The sisters could not be more different if they tried to be!

Where Elizabeth was so much like her mother, quiet, shy and slightly insecure, Andrea was like Emmett and Alice, loud, unafraid and very opinionated!

Bella made her was over to the bed and she bit back a laugh: Andrea was lying with her head at the bottom of the bed, her legs half off it completely as she mumbled away.

Bella brushed the tangle of waist length hair off Andrea's hot and sweaty neck and kissed her cheek.

Andrea grunted and flopped over.

Bella went across the hall and opened the door. She felt her heart constrict as she saw the little lump with his small bottom stuck up in the air, lying in his 'Spiderman' bed.

Her baby.

"Mama?" Max's gruff voice half whispered.

Bella crossed the room and she flicked his wild chocolate brown hair out of his eyes, "What is it Munchkin? You should be sleeping." She said quietly.

Eyes that were the same color as his father's stared at her with teary sadness, "I want my Daddy…"

Bella felt tears sting her eyes. She wanted to howl along with her son, but she was the grownup and she couldn't breakdown in front of the children.

Instead she gathered Max's body in her arms and sat down in the blue and red slider chair across the room. Her heart melted at the feel of the small arms that hugged her and the smell of soap, baby and … little boy that she loved.

"Oh Maxwell, don't cry honey. Your daddy loves you so much, you know that. He is working so hard so that he can come home to us, I promise. You know what, I bet that uncle Jazz and Uncle Em would like to have a play date with you, what do you think?"

Max didn't answer for the longest time and Bella thought that he had fallen asleep when his husky voice spoke up again.

"Mama? Can we phone my daddy? He needs to sing my song to me…"

Bella bit her lip to stop a sob from breaking free.

"Max, sweetie …."

"I need to tell him stuff! I gotta tell him I was good an' he gotta bring me a toy! He did say so!"

Bella could hear how over tired and emotional her little boy was and she knew that no amount of reasoning with him was going to do any good. He would just keep on whining until one of the broke.

Bella kissed Max's damp forehead, "Okay, but you can't whine to Daddy, okay? You are a big boy and Daddy is working remember?"

Maxwell nodded quickly as Bella stood up and walked out of his bedroom.

She sat Max on her enormous bed and picked up the house phone. A tiny voice in her head was playing a loop from the broadcast that she had watched earlier … _our Price has found someone to make him smile and laugh in a way that we haven't seen in a few years…._

Bella ignored her shaky hand as she quickly dialed Edward's number and she prayed that he would pick up.

"Cullen." Bella's heart pounded as she heard Edward's voice for the first time in a few days.

"Hello?" Edward sounded impatient.

"H-hello? Edward, it's Bella," she said hesitantly. _What the hell is wrong with you? This is your husband! _

"Oh! Hi, hi! How are you?" Edward said in a falsely cheerful voice.

"I'm fine. Listen I'm sorry to disturb you, but Max is having a hard time right now and he won't settle until he talks to you. I'm sorry, i-it won't take long, I promise." She spoke quickly, inwardly cringing at the way she sounded – apologetic and scared.

"Of course I will talk to him; you don't have to apologize, baby. I was going to call you in a while in any case. Put Max on, love." Bella wondered if the warmth and affection in his voice was real or if he was trying to impress someone else!

_STOP IT! THIS ISN'T REAL – JUST STOP IT!_ She told herself.

"Hey Max, Daddy wants to talk to you," she quickly gave Max the phone and walked into their bathroom.

"HI DADDY! IT'S MAX CULLEN... oh! Sorry! Okay, inside voice: It's Max… I miss you Daddy, when are you coming home? The girls are mean to me and they won't play with me and I miss you so much… Mama's sad too, Daddy…" the little boy swung his feet as he stared at his mother washing her face in the bathroom.

"I don't think that she was crying, but her eyes look sad and her smile is like when we take photos and you say 'smile' and then everyone smiles all silly like…"

Bella stood in front of her vanity and she splashed water on her face. She had to stop whatever she was thinking – she could not allow her mind to play tricks on her.

_Deal with facts, Bella!_ That's what Paul always told her. Paul Banner-Jones had been Bella's therapist, confidant, advisor and friend for more than twenty years. She didn't know what the truth was and what pure Hollywood bullshit was!

Thankfully she seldom took any note of gossip columns and such but from what the two hosts on that show had said that evening, it seemed that she was still the laughing stock of Hollywood.

Edward used to reassure with his words and deeds that he loved her and he didn't care what anyone said, but especially over the past 9 or 10 months, it seemed that they were headed in two different directions.

For a while after Bella's operation, Edward would take his time and love on her all the time, but that slowly stopped until it seemed that when he reached for her it was more out of obligation or some such thing.

Bella had felt her anxiety levels rising steadily over the past several months but she had become very good at hiding it – either that or Edward just didn't care enough to deal with her shit.

She heard Max giggle tiredly and she turned to see him cuddled on Edward's pillow as he blinked long and slow, a sure indication that he was falling asleep.

Bella bit her lip and smiled tenderly as she watched her son whisper into the hand set.

Bella walked into the bedroom and gently took the receiver from Maxwell and put the phone on 'speaker' setting.

Immediately she regretted her actions as Edward's husky voice filled the room, as he sang the lullaby that he had writing for Max when he was born.

"… _and you will always be…_

_My little soldier…_

_Rest your head, my darling boy,_

_Daddy's here…._

_With butterfly kisses and dinosaur tumbles…"_

Bella willed herself to calm down as she crawled onto the bed and lay facing the vast ceiling to floor windows as stray tears escaped.

"Hmm… love you… Daddy… comes home…" Bella's back stiffened as she heard Edward mutter a curse.

"I miss you too, Max-Max. I'll be home soon son. Sleep tight. Here's a kiss for you ….mmmwah..." silence filled the room broken only by the sound of Edward's breathing and then, "Bella? Are you there?"

Bella rolled over and picked up the handset as she wiped her nose with a tissue, "Um, hey! I'm here!" she cleared her throat, "Sorry about that, frog in my throat. Thanks for getting him to sleep for me. I'll carry him to bed-"

This time Edward sounded pissed off, "What? No, Bella! You know that you are not supposed to pick him up – especially when he is a 'dead weight'! Fuck! Why don't you ever listen?" his voice was harsh and low, the words being spat out of his mouth.

Bella almost dropped the phone but then the anger set in and she gripped it with both hands as she stalked into their dressing room so that she didn't disturb Max.

"What? Don't speak to me like I am one of your 'minions' Edward! I don't need to 'listen'! I am quite capable of taking care of myself and what do you care in any case? You haven't touched me in weeks because you haven't been home in weeks, Edward!"

Bella heard Edward's sharp intake of breath, but she continued, "Why is it that Jasper stays here while you have to go to Los Angeles all the time or New York or where ever? I don't know why you don't just man up and admit that you would rather be anywhere else but here with me!"

As Bella listened to her harsh breathing, Edward gripped his phone so tightly that he thought it would snap.

Where the fuck was all of this anger coming from? He was working his ass off to finish this album with Whitney Pryer. Yes, he loved his job and yes, she was a delightful person to work with and they had a great time working together, but his main focus was always to get home to his family.

Edward ignored the small voice inside him that asked_: Is it really? Is that why you have stretched this out for so long? Is that why you insisted in recording in L.A. and not at the studio at the ranch?_

Edward hissed and ran his hand though his hair, "Isabella, what the fuck are you talking about? I am working!"

Bella recoiled at the icy tone of Edward's voice and her anger dissipated.

"You are right, I'm sorry. I'm just tired and on edge. My pieces are being picked up tomorrow."

"What pieces?" Edward asked.

Bella bit her lip as hurt stung her, he didn't even know what she was working on, or he had forgotten.

"Never mind," she mumbled.

"No, tell me, what pieces?" he sounded impatient.

"The pieces for my show Edward, you know, _Letting Go_. The one that I've been working on for two years?"

Bella dashed the angry tears off her cheeks, "If you were home more, you'd remember, Edward." She added quietly, almost to herself, but Edward heard her.

The anger was back.

Edward inwardly cursed his foolishness, how could he have forgotten that her show was coming up? Fuck, he needed to get home.

"Isabella, I'm sorry. I've been too preoccupied here and time has just gotten away from me. We should be finished by the end of the week and then I'll be home. How are the kids?"

For the next few minutes Bella told Edward what everyone had been up to. He was angry that Alice and Rosalie had dumped their kids on Bella when they knew that she was alone, but Bella argued that she enjoyed the company, which made Edward feel guilty and then angry all over again!

He knew that he had stuff that he needed to sort out with Bella, and he had been avoiding it for months, or even for the last couple of years. It was easier to fill up his calendar with gigs, and appointments than it was for him to face the fact that their marriage was taking major strain and most of it was his fault.

After they had said a stilted goodnight to each other, Edward pushed his chair back and stood up.

He stretched and scratched his flat stomach absently. At forty-five his body was still in great condition although Edward worked at it nowadays. He worked out every day still and he ran ten to fifteen miles a day.

He didn't mind the laughter lines around his mouth or the crinkles around his eyes, but lately it seemed that he only smiled or laughed when he was away from home and he knew that was wrong and bad and dangerous.

Edward let out a shaky breath as he squeezed his eyes shut. He missed her, God! He missed his baby girl so fucking much! He missed his wife, his best friend, his lover and his submissive.

How did he even go about trying to get her back? Would she even want him anymore?

He walked over to his balcony and sat outside as he flipped through his contact names and hit send.

"Hey Paul, I'm sorry to call so late, but I need to talk to someone…"

As Edward talked to his old friend and therapist, he had forgotten about the large manila envelope that he had received at the reception desk when he had arrived back at the hotel.

It was marked simply in bold black writing: **'STRICTLY PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL: FOR THE ATTENTION OF E CULLEN – ONLY".**

*ΩafloΩ*

**a/n: Aaand we are off to a rocky start, people! Edward and Bella are obviously not in the best of places but hang in there because I want to make a couple of things clear:**

**There will be no cheating in this story! I believe FIRMLY in a HEA – but I also believe in a touch of RL, so things are not always going to be perfect. You know me, I do like a measure of drama.**

**So, are you with me?**

**Happy New Year my lovelies.**

**Plu/justginger**

**xoxo**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

***ΩafloΩ***

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 2**

Bella woke up a couple of mornings later feeling excited and anxious. She showered and dressed in jeans and a T-shirt and quickly slipped on a pair of sandals before she finger dried her hair. It was going to be a very busy day in their household because all of the children were headed off in different directions. She had spent the past three days making sure that each child had what they needed for the various activities that had been planned. The previous day, Alice, Rosalie and Bella had taken their daughters, including the 'minis' to a day spa while the guys had spent a day 'working' on the ranch before they retired to the swimming pool. Jackson and Joshua had fired up the barbeque and Jasper and Emmett joined them for an impromptu family dinner.

Both Alice and Rose had commented that Bella looked happier and healthier. Bella had smiled and shrugged as she told them that she was working out.

She also had plans of her own and just thinking about it made her cheeks burn hot. She shook her head and pushed the tantalizing thoughts out of her head. _Enough time for _that_ later, Bella_, she reprimanded herself sternly.

With a last look at herself in the mirror, Bella made her way downstairs to the kitchen where Eve was cooking up a storm for breakfast.

They chatted amicably as Bella helped to set the large table in the center of the open plan kitchen and she laughed as Evie called everyone to breakfast by sounding a god-awful alarm through the two way systems that went into each room.

Within minutes the kitchen was filled with four rumpled, sleepy and mostly grouchy teenagers and the three younger children.

Samuel glared at Eve as she put the coffee pot in front of him, "Seriously Eve, must you sound that darn thing every morning?" he grumbled.

Bella smirked as she snatched the coffee pot and topped her mug up, "Well, if you kids would go to sleep before the early hours of the morning, then you wouldn't be half dead in the morning." She quipped, causing Jackson to look at her suspiciously.

"You are very perky this morning Mom, what's got you so wide awake?" Sam asked almost accusingly.

Bella tried her best not to blush guiltily but the traitorous pink tinged her cheeks as she ducked her head to take a quick sip of coffee.

"Um, nothing really. I've got a couple of meetings in the city and I'm meeting Garrett and Kate for dinner." She said quickly.

That earned a laugh from Alexis, "Yeah, that and the fact that you are getting rid of all of us for a month!"

Jackson and Nicolas agreed with chuckles before they began to dish up. Bella listened to her children talking amongst themselves as they made plans and comments and she let out a sigh of contentment.

She loved having everyone home and she pushed away the thought that this year there would be another one less person at the table in the mornings when Nicholas left for college and they would only have another year with Sam at home before he left as well.

Bella made sure that she ate everything that she had dished up for herself. She spotted Jackson out of the corner of her eyes looking at her plate pointedly.

Bella and Edward had made a point of not keeping her anorexia a secret from her family. Over the years she had become disciplined in taking care of her body with exercise, diet and a general healthy lifestyle but she was always aware that anorexia could rear its ugly head at any time if she became too stressed or if she felt out of control.

As a submissive, Bella had become accustomed to relinquishing control of her body to Edward, but over the past few years, that had fallen once again on her shoulders and she was determined not to let herself fallen in old destructive habits. Her therapy sessions with Paul had helped as well.

She looked up and smiled at her oldest child to sooth the worry from his eyes. Her heart ached with just how much Jackson resembled Edward. He stared at her searchingly for a moment before he gave her a wink and a slight nod.

Bella let out a small sigh of relief. She was an awful liar and she prayed that no one called her out on her plans outright.

Breakfast was a languished, rowdy affair as appetites were appeased and plans discussed.

The seven young adults, Jackson, Tiffany, Alexis, Jared, Joshua, Nicholas and Christopher were leaving that morning for the family compound in Lake Tahoe for three weeks. Carlisle and Esme were already at the house and they would 'chaperone' the teenagers, who had all invited friends to go along.

The house where Bella and Edward had said their vows had grown over the years and now it was a compound for the entire family and their friends. Apart from the main house, there were another three houses, each of which had five bedrooms, four two-bedroom guest cottages as well as a Gatehouse that was home to the full time caretaker that took care of the property and his family.

Esme and Rosalie had spent months on every detail of each house and cottage so that while all the buildings were log cabins, each home was individual and unique.

Because of the size of their family, Carlisle and Esme had insisted that Edward and Bella take the main house, while the other three couples each had their own home with enough space for friends and visitors.

Bella was pleased that the teenagers were flying down so that she would not have to worry about them driving so far.

MC, Samuel and Daniel had all been selected to attend baseball camp at the University of Notre Dame and Bella listened as Sam spoke to Nicholas about the camp. Bella was already cringing at the thought of Sam going to Illinois for college, but it seemed that his mind was almost made up. He and both of his cousins were fantastic baseball players and several collage scouts had noticed them. Edward thought that it was a foregone conclusion that Sam would go to Notre Dame the following year, but Bella wasn't so sure.

Andrea, Elizabeth and Rebecca were going to an all girl's summer camp that was also on Lake Tahoe that catered to all of their interests.

Elizabeth loved to ride horses and there was a wonderful program for her to do that, whereas Andrea was on the swimming team and the camp had great swimming instructors. Little Rebecca wanted to do a little of everything and the program for children aged six to nine was such that there was a different activity for them to do every day. Alice and Jasper were going to be driving down with the girls the next day and Elizabeth and Andrea would be sleeping at Alice that night.

Max would be attending a local 'peewee' day camp with Seth's children the following week, but Charlie and Sue were picking him up later that morning to take him and Seth and Jessie's two children, seven year old Casey and four year old Isabelle on a camping and fishing trip.

Max was so excited that it took all of Bella's patience to get him to eat.

All of the adults, including Sue, Charlie, Seth and Jessie would be joining Alice, Jasper, Esme and Carlisle in Tahoe for the month of July. Even though it was usually quite busy, everyone had agreed that the family needed a month in which to relax and bond with each other and so their various business interests were left in the hands of capable managers, cell phones were only switched on once a day and all business talk was left at home.

With almost forty people to cook for at any one time, the main house's kitchen had been updated to accommodate industrial sized appliances and all the women shared the cooking duties, although the men spent a fair amount of time barbequing for the one meal that everyone came together for each day.

Bella loved this time of year usually, but this year she was feeling anxious about the holidays. After breakfast was finished and everyone had helped to clean up their mess, Bella urged everyone upstairs to finish packing and she reminded them to strip their beds and to bring their laundry downstairs so that Evie could tackle the mountain of linen and laundry while everyone was away.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella took another mug of coffee and walked out to the back porch. She sat down and sighed softly as she heard the faint sounds of laughter and chatter from upstairs.

Things between Edward and her had been better for the last couple of days. He had made a point of calling her at least twice a day and she knew that he was talking to the children as well.

At first Bella wondered whether Edward knew what she had been up to, but he when he didn't say anything, she relaxed slightly. She could hear that something was different by the tender way that he spoke to her, but she didn't want to jinx it and pry into the reason why he was trying to reconnect with her. Every day Edward told her that he loved her and Bella felt her heart begin to thaw at his warm words.

Of course he wouldn't have any idea what she had been doing for the past few months! He trusted her!

Bella shook her head and pushed the feelings of guilt away. _This was his fault_, she reminded herself. If he hadn't given her reason to, there was _no way_ that Bella would be doing what she was doing.

Her mind went to the contents of the envelope again. She really didn't know what to do about it and that was one of the reasons that she was driving to San Francisco.

She knew in her heart that Edward was not being unfaithful to her. They had gone through too much shit in the past for him to throw it away on some young singer–but on the other hand, _the camera didn't lie!_

_The envelope was still lying on the kitchen counter the next morning and something warned Bella to open it in private. She took a cup of coffee and made her way to her office. Once the door was closed Bella opened the envelope carefully. She had learned a lot from Emmett's security team over the years and although both she and Eve had handled the envelope, Bella knew that fingerprints could be left behind._

_Once she had slip it open, Bella let the contents fall onto her desk._

_Her heart was hammering as she stared at the single folio sized photograph._

_Bella gasped. The photograph showed the back of a man and a women entering what looked like a restaurant, but it was the second photograph that was set into the corner that made Bella gasp._

_There was Edward and the younger blonde singer, Whitney Pryer and it was not that there was any display of affection or anything that tore through Bella's heart it was the sight of her husband looking happy, playful and flirty._

_Bella looked at the twenty something blonde singer. She was attractive, but once again Bella looked at her face. She was smitten. It was written all over her–she was smitten and giddy._

_Bella knew that feeling and she knew expressions, for fuck sake, she had been studying faces for most of her life! Capturing expressions was what she did best. She knew the look of 'first love' or perhaps, 'first lust'!_

_After she had spent a few minutes crying Bella wiped her tears away and squared her shoulders. She was not the same young and scared waif that Edward had married twenty years before, no way was she putting up with this shit! This made her feel so much better about the decision that she had made all those months ago._

_She quickly reached for the phone and after checking the number she dialed it quickly . As expected it was answered on the second ring._

"_Anderson"_

"_Andy? Hey, it's Bella. I need to see you."_

"_Do you want me to come out to the ranch? Are you okay? Do you need Edward?"_

"_No! Don't come out and whatever you do. Do not tell ANYONE about this, especially not Edward. Please? I will come to you…"_

_After a moments silence, Anderson agreed to see her as soon as she could manage it._

_He would do anything for Bella Cullen._

Bella was brought out of the memory by the sound of Sam calling her, "MOM! Where are my baseball mitts?"

Bella rolled her eyes and snorted as she stood up and picked up her mug.

Only a few hours of madness to go before she would leave to begin getting some answers.

_Whoever had sent the photographs had no idea who they were dealing with,_ Bella thought with a determined glint in her eyes, _they had no idea just how hard Isabella Cullen was prepared to fight for her husband and her family._

_Isabella Cullen would not take this lying down._

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward stared out of the window of his hotel room without feeling the usual thrill of being close to home again.

Only a handful of people knew that he was in San Francisco and his wife wasn't one of them. He knew that was why he felt so 'out of sorts'. He had very few secrets from Bella and the fact that there were secrets between them was unnerving to say the least.

But it seemed that he wasn't the only one to be keeping secrets. His gaze fell on the plain brown envelope on the table.

He ran his hand through his hair for what seemed like the hundredth time that morning.

Just then there was a knock at the door and he jumped, biting back a muttered curse but he hurried to answer it.

"Thanks for coming." He said opening the door to let the three men inside.

His eyebrows rose as he greeted Jasper, Garrett and Emmett.

Jasper patted his shoulder as he walked into the suite, "They are here to help."

Edward nodded.

Everyone helped themselves to coffee and Edward smirked as Emmett almost fell on the covered dish that was filled with pastries.

"Hungry" was all he mumbled by way of explanation.

Once they were seated around the small dining room table, Jasper spoke.

"Where is the photograph?"

Edward pushed the envelope across the table but Emmett intercepted it.

"Have you kept it in the plastic?"

Edward nodded impatiently, "Of course! I'm not dumb!"

Emmett cocked an eyebrow, "That remains to be seen."

Jasper shook the photographs out of the envelope and Edward felt his heart contract painfully as the images landed on the table. Even though he had spent hours staring at them, he felt gutted every time that he saw them.

_Edward had spent most of the night that he phoned Paul sleepless and sitting on the balcony sipping a watery scotch. _

_Paul had listened to him before he had first scolded him for taking so long to talk to someone and then he had scolded him for pushing Bella away._

_After an hour, Edward promised to try to clear his calendar so that he could go and see Paul on his way home._

_As dawn began to break, Edward walked inside to take a shower and spotted the envelope on a side table._

_With a frown he turned the plain brown envelope over. _

_For some reason his heart began to pound as he slit the flap open and gingerly shook out the contents._

"_What the fuck?!" He exclaimed roughly as the glass fell out of his hand unnoticed._

_Edward clutched his heart as he stared at the black and white photos. Although he had not seen Bella in a submissive pose in a long time, he knew his wife._

_His eyes filled with tears as his heart beat wildly._

"_Isabella–please tell me this isn't true, baby." He whispered._

_The first picture was fairly simple and although it was obviously a still taken from a video camera, it was surprisingly clear._

_Edward could not make out much of the background in the room, but it looked as if there were dark walls and a wooden floor._

_Bella was in a prefect submissive kneeling pose, her back straight, and her legs wide apart. Her eyes were closed and her face was downcast. _

_Edward frowned as he stared at the picture but when his eyes caught the date and time in the corner, Edward felt his heart begin to tear into pieces._

_The date was a month before. He remembered the date because Bella had been on edge until she had left for a 'meeting' in the city. He had offered to drive her and he had even tried to convince her to spend the night with him in a hotel._

_Bella had refused and it seemed that she couldn't get away from him fast enough._

_Now he knew why._

_The other photograph was a candid shot of Bella presumably as she left wherever she had been. She looked tired, nervous but breathtakingly beautiful._

_Edward sat down abruptly. His legs were shaking as his fists clenched in his hair._

_What was he going to do? He had allowed his own stupid fears and anxiety to push her away for so long that she had stopped waiting for him to get his shit together._

_It was obvious that Bella had found herself another Dom._

_He knew this because of the distinct marks on her back and shoulders from being whipped._

_Edward felt his world unravel and he barely made it to the toilet and emptied the contents of his stomach._

_Hours later, he reached for his phone and hit a number._

"_Ed? What's up?"_

"_I've lost her." He croaked out._

"_What? What the fuck are you talking about?"_

"_Bella. I've lost her. She…" he closed his eyes as the image on the photograph swam before his eyes, "she has chosen another Dom."_

_Jasper motioned for the sound engineer to carry on as he almost ran out of the room and into his and Edward's office. He shut the door and leaned against it._

"_Edward, what the fuck are you talking about? Are you drunk? High?" he demanded impatiently._

_Edward's laugh sounded like a sob, "I wish I was drunk or high. No my friend, I have the evidence in black and white right in front of me. There is a picture of Bella in submission. It's dated – remember when I told you that I was worried because Bella was acting strangely? Well it was that day. Jazz, I am so fucking stupid! I have been so scared to 'hurt' her or 'damage' her that I have pushed her into another Dominant's arms! What the fuck am I going to do?"_

_Jasper waited until Edward stopped crying before he spoke up, "You are going to get your shit together, once and for all! I have been telling you for ages, Ali had been telling you, fuck, your entire family as well as your fucking therapist has been telling you that Bella is not her mother! She is not going to have a psychotic episode or a nervous breakdown! It's only you and Charlie that listened to that quack that treated Bella after she had her operation. He fed you with such misinformation that it was criminal!"_

_Jasper didn't wait for Edward to speak before he went on._

"_We have tried to tell you both that Bella is stronger now than she had ever been, but you and Charlie just continue to think that she is a piece of glass! I told you that your wife is a born submissive, Edward! Even Paul told you that and we warned you – if you are not going to meet her submissive needs then you need to expect her to either change or find someone who is not afraid to be her Master!"_

_Edward growled, "Fuck you! I am her Master!"_

"_Then start acting like it! Now, get up and go and shower. Clear you head out. There are two things at play here; one is that Bella may be scening with someone else or two and this is important – someone else knows _what_ she is and in turn what you are, are you hearing me? Someone else knows that you are a Dominant or at least that you are in this lifestyle. We need to find out who it is and we need to shut them down before this entire fucked up mess come crashing down around our ears!"_

_The two men were silent for a long time as the ramifications of this sunk in._

"_Jasper, what if the kids find out? Bella will never forgive me if this drives them away."_

_Jasper's eyes fell on the wall opposite. Photographs of their families crowded on wall. Neither he nor Edward cared about the awards, platinum, silver and gold records or even the four Oscars that they had amassed. _

_No, their family was their prized possessions and Jasper knew that this could destroy all of them._

_He squeezed his eyes shut for a moment, "We are never going to let anything happen to any of them, Edward. Now, pull yourself together and finish up this album today and then get your ass to San Francisco. Don't tell Bella or anyone that you are leaving Los Angeles. We will meet you in your suite at the W at 9 a.m. Don't be late. Ali and I are driving the girls down to Tahoe and we need to meet before we leave. I am calling in reinforcements."_

_Edward nodded, "Thanks Bro."_

_Jasper sighed, "Sometimes you make it difficult to love you, man, but you are welcome."_

_Edward's green eyes looked almost black as he stood in the shower. He was not going to lose his family or his wife. Or his submissive! Jasper was right; it was time to fight back._

_He smiled grimly, he almost felt sorry for the fucker who had meddled in their lives. Almost._

Emmett gasped as he looked at the pictures. His eyes looked over at his brother and he winced at the pain that he saw etched there. He wanted to offer him some comfort but he had no idea what to say.

Jasper stared at the pictures analytically before he looked up at Edward.

"I asked Garrett to come with us because of his connections."

Edward nodded, "Of course." Edward cringed – did he want to know who Bella's new lover was?

It was then that they realized that Garrett hadn't said a word. The three men looked at him.

"Garrett?"

Garrett was more than a little uncomfortable. Bella had put him in an impossible situation! Kate had warned him that this could happen and that it would jeopardize the lifelong friendship that he had with Edward and with Jasper – it could ruin everything, but at the time, he had only been trying to help Bella.

He understood her pain and he wanted to help her. Fuck! He should have listened to his wife. He cringed; Kate was going to have his balls!

He realized that he couldn't protect Bella any longer and he sighed.

"Edward, um, this is really difficult, but," Garrett began, only to be interrupted by Edward's angry voice.

Edward frowned as he felt anger cruise through his veins, "What do you know, Garrett?"

"These photographs were taken at my club."

"WHAT?"

*ΩafloΩ*

After helping Sam to finish packing, Bella walked into Andrea's bedroom and frowned. If it was at all possible, the room was even messier than it had been.

"Andrea, you need to clean up before Aunt Alice arrives to fetch you." Bella said as she began to strip the sheets off the bed.

Andrea sighed dramatically, "This is all Aunt Alice's fault you know Mom! She has given me too many choices! There is no way that I'm going to survive with just two bags! I need that just for my shoes!"

Bella shook her head; it would serve Alice right if she allowed her ten year old to have more luggage than herself!

"Okay, Coco Chanel, let's slow down here." Andrea giggled at the nickname, "You are going to camp, not a fashion show and no matter what your aunt says," Andrea opened her mouth but shut it as Bella gave her a warning look.

"You do not need to take a pair of shoes for each day! Now, you are going for a month and Nana and Pops are just across the lake if you really need something or I'm sure that your aunt won't mind driving to you. Now pack again and this time, can you please stick to the list that we made?"

Andrea rolled her eyes as she allowed her mother to cuddle next to her for a moment, "Sure Mom."

Bella went thought the bathroom and into Elizabeth's room. It was like stepping into a different world, Bella thought.

The preteen's stipulated two bags were next to her bedroom door. The double bed was stripped down and there was not a thing out of place in the room as Elizabeth flittered around her room, checking that all of her electronics were unplugged and that her already spotless room was even more spotless.

"Hey baby. Are you done?" Bella asked from the doorway.

Elizabeth pushed her hair over her shoulders as she looked around her room. Bella could feel the anxiety rolling off her as she bit her lip and shrugged.

Of all of her children, Elizabeth was the most like her and it worried Bella, even though Edward insisted that she would grow out of it.

Timid, shy and insecure, Elizabeth was uncomfortable around strangers and in strange environments. She loved her room. It was her safe haven. Elizabeth looked at her sisters and cousins in awe. They were all so outspoken and courageous and she was afraid to do almost anything!

She loved to spend time with animals rather than people and she had already asked her Pops to research the best schools to study to become a Vet.

Beth smiled at her mother and she readily went to sit down as Bella began to brush and then braided her long hair down her back.

"You know, Beth, this camp is supposed to have one of the best riding instructors in the country." Bella said calmly as she finished securing the braid.

She leaned forward and spoke quietly, "And I know that Pops has arranged for you to spend every second Saturday helping Doc Wheaton at the Animal shelter when we get back home."

Bella laughed as Beth shot off her chair and she clung to her mother, "What? Oh gosh, mom, that's AMAZING!"

Bella laughed again, "Better than Justin Bieber tickets for your birthday?" she teased.

Elizabeth's mouth popped opened again and Bella held up a hand, "Daddy doesn't know for sure yet, okay? But you did put it onto your list and he is working on it."

"I LOVE YOU!" Elizabeth squealed as Andrea ran in her room, "What happened?" she asked in a panic.

As the older of the two, Andrea was extremely protective of her younger, shy sister.

Bella pointed to the post of the young singer and Andrea rolled her eyes, "Seriously? Well, if I have to go to a 'beeb' concert, then you have to go with me to see my birthday group!"

Elizabeth scrunched up her nose daintily, "The Smashing Pumpkins? I thought that Daddy said you were too young to see them, why not One Direction?"

Bella could just see an argument starting and she moved away to hold up her hands, "Okay you two, that's enough. There is plenty of time to talk about this, but right now, Andrea Rose Cullen, you have to clean up that room before Uncle Jazz gets here."

Andrea sighed and walked towards her room, "Aunty Ali is fetching us because Uncle Jasper had to go to the city for a meeting this morning."

Bella looked up in alarm, "Really? He didn't say anything to me yesterday."

Andrea shrugged, "I heard Daniel telling Sam that his dad couldn't take them to the airport, so Uncle Seth is taking them."

Bella nodded and walked out of the bedroom.

Andrea stared after her mother before she looked back at her twin, "I wonder what that was about?"

Elizabeth shrugged, "I dunno. Hey, Drea? Do you think people will laugh at me if I take Dingle with me?"

Dingle was one of a pair of stuffed Pinto horses that Jasper had given the girls when they were born. They had been born one month to the day that the first Pinto foals were born on the ranch for that year and each child had received a foal as a gift.

Stuffed Dingle was Elizabeth's most prized possession after the real live version that had the same name.

Andrea turned to her sister with a frown, "No one is going to make fun of you, Twin, I promise."

They shared a smile.

"Hey, do you need some help cleaning up your room?"

Andrea rolled her eyes as Elizabeth giggle and threw an arm across her sister's shoulder, "I heard what Mom said, come on, it won't take us long at all."

Andrea laughed, "You haven't seen my room, yet!"

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella walked into her oldest son's room and smiled. Jackson was filling a large bag with CD's and movies.

"Have you packed any clothes?" she asked.

Jackson looked up and grinned, "A couple of pairs of jeans, cut offs, tees, toothbrush – done!" he teased.

Bella rolled her eyes and walked further into the room.

"You're not packing any deodorant or undies?" Jacksons shook his head playfully as Bella raised her eyebrows.

"Wow the girls are in for a treat this summer! You'd better stay downwind, kiddo!"

Jackson barked out a laugh, "Nice to know that you think so highly of me!"

Bella reached out and ran her hand through Jackson's wild hair, "You need a haircut." She murmured.

Jackson leaned down and kissed her cheek before he stepped away and walked over to his closet to check that he had everything, "Nonsense, Ma, the chicks love my 'sex hair'!"

Bella huffed as she bit back a smile, "Spoken like a true 'Dean's List' candidate!"

Jack nodded, "Why don't you go and bug your other sons, you know, the 'player' and the other one, who is probably making some deal or another." He shook his head ruefully.

Nick was always negotiating or cutting a deal with someone. From his teachers to his coaches to his siblings and cousins, he was the smartest man that Jackson knew and after his 'uncle' Aro, Nicholas was the shrewdest!

Jackson watched his mother walked down the hallway and his smile faded. Nicholas was also the one that shared his secret and now there were two of them.

This time he was going to take matters into his own hands and he was going to tell someone. He had to and he hoped that Nick would do the same.

With a sigh, he pushed his dark thoughts to one side as he quickly picked up his bags and carried them downstairs.

Bella stuck her head around Max's door and saw her oldest daughter sitting on the floor with Max nestled in her lap as she folded his little T-shirts into the backpack that he was taking camping with Grumpy Charlie or _'G'_ as the kids called him nowadays.

"Hey you two, I was wondering where you were."

Alexis smiled and she hugged her baby brother, "We are just finishing up, because Grumps called to say that he is on his way."

Max wiggled until Lexi let him go and he scrambled to his feet, "I'm ready Ma!" he said as he held his arms out to show Bella that he was 'presentable'.

Bella felt her heart swell as the adorable child grinned at her and spun in a clumsy circle before he stumbled and fell against his older sister.

He laughed easily and gripped Alexis' shoulder in his baby-chubby fingers, "Oopsie daisy! Sorry Lex!"

Alexis steadied him before she stood up, "No harm, no foul, Max."

Bella smiled, "Max, do you want to go and hurry the twins up? Aunty Alice is on her way over."

Max grinned; he loved any opportunity to boss his older sisters around.

He ran out the room and began to yell, "You gals better be weddy or else Ali's gonna leave wifout you!" He laughed gleefully as his sisters began to squeal in protest.

Bella shook her head and she shared a smiled with her daughter, "Thanks, for helping him Hon. I know that he probably wanted to pack everything!"

Alexis laughed and nodded, "I had to bring Nick in to negotiate with the little tyke! Thank heavens Nick's got mad skills when it comes to reasoning with him or else G would end up having to take a U Haul with for the trip!"

Bella suddenly thought about the cross-country trip that she and Edward had taken years before.

"What are you thinking about?" Alexis asked curiously.

Bella blushed as she smiled, "I was thinking about an amazing trip that Dad and I took in this incredible bus many years ago." She sighed softly.

Alexis shuddered at the thought of what her parents did on their trip! Even now, they could hardly keep their hands off each other, but she had seen the pictures, at least the 'R' rated ones that hung on a couple of walls and still others that were in one of the many, many albums that they had and Alexis remembered seeing the raw desire and need in her parents young faces.

"Okay! Enough of that, Mom, thank you! Now, I'm going to find one of my strong brothers to take Max and my stuff downstairs."

She brushed her hands over her jeans and walked out of Max's room.

Bella hardly heard her go because she was lost in memories of another time… and then the bell rang and immediately the house was filled with loud voices, laughter and her sister in law calling her name.

Bella shook her head to clear it and made her way downstairs.

Alice grinned up at Bella before she pulled her into a hug.

"Hey Twister! What's with the hug? I saw you yesterday!" Bella half protested.

"I know, but I'm not going to see you for the next three weeks, so I wanted to get an extra hug in!"

"Mom, that is so corny!" Daniel said and he greeted Bella with a quick kiss to her cheek and took off up the stairs.

The two friends shook their heads as they listened to the noise on the first floor.

"I can't wait for the remodel to be done so that we can get the cottage ready." Bella said.

"Although, it's not Jackson and Nicholas that make the noise or the mess, but still they are old enough now to have a separate place."

Jackson and Nicholas had approached her and Edward a few months before and Jack had asked if he and Nicholas could move outside of the family home. They promised that when they were home and not studying or 'entertaining' friends, that they would be in the main house, but they also needed their space.

At first Bella was more than a little skeptical and suspicious but Edward had reasoned with her until she agreed to have a two bedroom, two bathroom cottage built behind their home. It was set a little way back from the main house and so the boys would have their privacy, but it was still near enough to walk from one house to another.

Edward had agreed to their suggestions and he had even agreed to add a 'dining room/kitchen' in the attic area, with the bedrooms and bathrooms on the first floor and a sitting room/den/games room on the ground floor with a separate room that was to be a small gym and work out room. Jackson had been training in Martial Arts for over fifteen years and he worked out every day to stay in shape. Nicholas preferred to run to relieve his stress and sometimes Bella joined him for a morning run.

Alice looked at Bella closely, "Are you okay? You look kind of flushed."

Bella could feel heat color her cheeks as she ducked her head, "Of course! Do you want a cup of coffee or something before you take the girls? Thanks by the way for taking them. I'm so pleased that the guys are taking the time off, it's been a crazy year, right?"

Alice was frowning as she followed Bella into the kitchen. Something was up. Bella only really babbled when she was nervous or trying to hide something because she was the world's worst liar… Hmmm.

"Bells? Bella!"

Bella stopped talking and looked at her friend with wide alarmed eyes. She knew if Alice pried too much, she was going to cave in and tell her everything and as much as she loved her sister in law, she didn't want to put another marriage under strain.

She already felt guilty because Garrett had insisted on helping her and Kate had made it very clear that she didn't agree with Garrett's decision. Kate believed in honest and open communication. Bella frowned, but then again Kate was still Garrett's submissive and the two had a very active lifestyle, in spite of being parents.

Alice sighed, "I know that something is up with you and that you don't want to talk about it, but I just want to say that I am here for you. You are my best friend and my sister and you know that I will always be on your side. Whatever you are doing suites you. You are more sassy and spirited than ever and I like the fact that you've got some color in your cheeks."

Bella put her hand over Alice's, "I appreciate your support Ali. This isn't something that you can take my side on. If you do then it's going to cause major problems with Jasper and the rest of the family."

Bella looked at Alice beseechingly, "Please drop it. All you have to know is that I am fine and I am being safe."

Alive frowned, "Safe? What are you doing that you need to be safe? Bella, I don't like the sound of this…"

They were interrupted as Charlie and Sue walked into the kitchen.

"Hey Alice, hello Bells. Are you thinking of skydiving again Bella?" Charlie said with a twitch of his moustache.

Bella grinned as she hugged Sue and then her father. Even though he was 65, Charlie Swan looked years younger. Retirement, marriage and sobriety had done that for him.

Charlie loved his life. He spent his days in the garden or volunteering down at the police station when he wasn't travelling with one of the Cullen children.

The best part of all was that he had Sue by his side every day and he couldn't wait to spend his night loving on her. He smirked as he remembered how he had 'ambushed' that morning as she sorted out the laundry. She had tried to berate him, but he reasoned it wasn't his fault that she looked so damn enticing as she bent over the washing machine.

"Dad? What are you smirking about?" Bella's voice brought him out of his daydream and his eyes cut across to his wife who glared at him as her tanned cheeks burned.

"Stop it!" she hissed and Bella covered her mouth as she bumped shoulders with Alice.

"Why Charlie Swan, you little pervert!" Alice laughed, causing Charlie to blush bright red, much to the amusement of the three women.

"Okay, okay! I'm going to go and find my grandson." He grumbled as he hurried from the room.

Bella looked at her step-mother. Sue was staring after Charlie with an amused and decidedly goofy look on her face.

"Are you two going to be able to keep your hands to yourselves for the next four days?" Bella teased.

Sue grinned as her dark brown eyes twinkled, "We are taking an extra tent – just in case of um, 'emergencies'."

"Yuck! Sue!"

Sue laughed, "You went there first, kid and let's face it it's not like there are any secrets in this family are there?"

Bella willed herself not to flinch and she must have passed because the next thing Alice and Sue were discussing the new restaurant in town and Bella let out a sigh of relief.

An hour later, Bella waved as the loaded minivan and the trailing jeep that was loaded with the rest of the luggage, closed the front door and she leaned her forehead against it. The house was silent.

Bella could hear her own breathing and she took a few moments to simply appreciate the quiet.

Seth had arrived earlier and he had dropped the older kids at the private airport, before he drove Sam, Daniel and MC to San Francisco International to catch their commercial flight to O' Hare where they would be met by one of the camp directors. Because MC was still a minor, the boys would be escorted onto their flight, by airline personnel and they would be 'handed over' to the person that was meeting them. Of course the boys had protested vehemently but Emmett had ended the argument when he stated that they either accepted the help or they didn't go at all.

With a quick look at her watch, Bella run upstairs. She took a long shower and made sure that she took time to shave and check for any stray hairs. When she was satisfied that her legs, underarms and pubic area was clean, she rinse the conditioner out of her hair and stepped out of the shower.

After she dried herself and blow-dried her hair Bella got dressed in a pair of white jeans, a black v-neck T-shirt and her black leather jacket. Her makeup was light and after looking at herself to make sure that she wouldn't stick out in a crowd. Bella pushed a pair of sunglasses on top of her head and nodded with approval.

She quickly threw a couple of pairs of undergarments into an overnight bag, along with a couple of changes of clothing and a T-shirt of Edward's that she could sleep in and a small bag of toiletries.

Her heart was hammering as she walked into the annex and she quickly punched the code into the locked door.

As soon as she walked into the playroom, she felt that someone else had been in there recently.

Bella felt her skin prickle with fear.

"What the fuck is going on?" Bella said aloud. She frowned; it seemed impossible that someone else had been into this room. Only she and Edward knew the combination code and he hadn't been home in almost a month.

Bella laughed at her own nervousness, "You are being ridiculous, Isabella, this is just your wishful thinking!"

She quickly made her selections and with one last look around, she closed the door once again.

She packed everything into the bag and closed it and with another glance at her watch, she went downstairs and phoned over to Eve's house.

"_Hey Evie, I'm leaving for the city. Yeah, well, I may stay with in San Francisco for an extra night and then meet up with Edward who is flying in on Sunday, but I will call you, okay? Bye."_

She felt like running to her car but forced herself to walk casually across to the garages. For once she wasn't driving her SUV or minivan and she grinned as she pulled the keys for her special 'baby' off the wall and walked over to the Mini Cooper that Edward had bought her for her fortieth birthday.

Of course, he had made sure that it was absolutely the top of the range with every single luxury feature installed as well as the latest emergency GPS and alarm system that every car that any of the family drove was fitted with.

After what had happened to Bella when the twins and Nicholas were babies, no one was prepared to take any chances and so similar devices were installed in every car.

Bella grinned as she relaxed for the first time that day. Music blared from the speakers and she waved to the security guard at the gate as she drove away from the ranch.

She was anguish about her meeting with Anderson, but she was also excited about the night to come. Once every two weeks wasn't nearly enough, but it was the best that she could manage without arousing suspicion at home.

She was disappointed that she would not be able to have any lasting marks because Edward was due to arrive home in a couple of days and she couldn't take that risk, but she could still have some fun.

*ΩafloΩ*

"WHAT? WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN? YOU _KNEW_ THAT SHE WAS CHEATING ON ME? THIS WAS TAKEN AT YOUR CLUB?" Emmett was surprised that the windows didn't shatter as Edward bellowed his questions into Garrett's face as his fist pulled back.

Luckily Emmett still had good reflexes and he managed to pull Edward back before he could smash a fist into his mentor's face.

"NO! She's not cheating on you!"

"_BULLSHIT_! LOOK AT HER BACK!" Edward screamed and he lunged at Garrett again.

Emmett tackled him to the floor and held him down.

After long moments of scuffling Edward finally lay on his back on the ground and didn't try to free himself from his brother.

"Okay, get off me!" he growled.

Emmett stared down at him, his hands still holding Edward pinned to the ground. "Are you sure? You are going to behave?"

Edward nodded impatiently and he slowly sat up. Garrett hadn't moved and he sat staring solemnly at Edward.

Edward struggled to control the rage and hurt that he felt at his friend's betrayal.

Garrett waited for a couple of minutes until he could see that Edward was calmer.

"Edward, Bella is not cheating on you." Edward opened his mouth but Garrett held up his hand, "I promise you – this is not what it seems to be! Yes, there has been a grievous breach of security, and I agree with Jasper and Emmett that the perpetrator must be found immediately because if this gets out, your family will suffer greatly."

Edward glared at him, "And so will your reputation! Imagine your 'clients' finding out that their anonymity," Edward curled his fingers to form air quotes, "was in jeopardy – you would be finished in this business and your reputation would be ruined, so you have just as much to lose as me!"

Garrett shook his head, "E; I don't give a rat's ass about my reputation; this is not about me or the clubs; this is about you and Isabella. I know that I should have told you and I have begged Bella to tell you herself and she has been getting better. She promised me that she was going to talk to you when you got home."

The two men looked at each other. Edward could see that Garrett was telling him the truth and he could also see that Bella had put Edward into an almost impossible situation.

"I am sorry, Edward, but Bella has been hurting and I _had_ to help her. I glad that she came to me first. She made a safe decision and I promise you, no one has violated or touched her."

There was silence before Edward nodded and he stood up and picked up his chair.

Emmett and Jasper joined them at the table again.

"First order of business is to find out how this fucker is hacking into your system, Gar." Emmett said, all at once he was no longer the big easygoing teddy bear, but he was alert, capable and slightly frightening.

"I need to get our IT guys onto this ASAP, also, we need to dust these to check for fingerprints or saliva." He grinned grimly, "People like this like to hide behind being a bully anonymously, so let's sees if we can draw them out into the open. This asshole is messing with the wrong family! I need to make some calls." Emmett got up and walked into Edward's bedroom.

Jasper and Garrett looked at each other and then at Edward.

"Edward, I know that looking at these photos is painful, but let's be honest here; you have fucked up big time." Garrett said quietly.

"You have been a Dominant for almost half of your life and this is not the way that you have been taught to treat your submissive, never mind the fact that she happens to be one of the most amazing woman that I know and the mother of your seven children. Bella is generous to a fault and when she first came to see me about six months ago she was a mess."

Edward swallowed heavily as he felt regret and remorse settle in his stomach.

"But Bella has been so – so fragile since Max was born…" Edward said.

Jasper hit his hand on the table as he leaned forward and glared at his brother in law. "That is where you are so wrong, Edward! Only you think that Bella is this broken, fragile little doll that is going to break, but dude, she is so fucking strong it is scary! Once again you have decided that Bella couldn't handle going into the playroom and so you just–stopped. Do you know how much that must have hurt her? She is a submissive! That is who she is! Did she ever once tell you that she wanted to leave the lifestyle?"

Edward shook his head. "No."

Garrett nodded, "That's right, she has never said that and you gave her one chance and when she safe worded, you decided that she had had her one chance and that was that."

Garrett sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. Edward felt himself color at the look of disappointment and sadness in Garrett's eyes. He had been Edward and Jasper's mentor for so long and he was the one person that Edward trusted implicitly in the BDSM community.

"This is not my story to tell, and so I am going to just point you in the right direction with one condition: You have to promise to look, listen and above all stay calm until Isabella has explained herself. If I do this, and you and Isabella decide to move forward as Dom and sub, I expect to see you change and put a shitload more dedication into this relationship than you have been."

Edward felt shame wash over him. How had he fucked up so badly? How had he walked away from the one person that he loved and adored? He had let so many people down and he didn't know if he was going to be able to put this right.

Jasper sat forward, "Ed, we are going to make some changes at RHR as well. You need to take some time off, man. You need to spend time with your family and I'm not just talking about Bella. The kids are growing up so fast. They have been home for a month already and you have been gone for three weeks out of the past four. That's bullshit and it has to stop. You can't keep running away from your problems. Do you even know what's going on with them?"

Edward frowned, "What do you mean?"

Jasper sighed, "You need to talk to them and find out what's happening in their lives. I think that you will be surprised to say the least. We are all busy, but remember when we started this?"

Edward nodded.

"Do you remember why we started this business and why we moved out of the city?"

Edward rubbed his hand over his face, "Yeah, we did it so that we could have a good quality family life."

Jasper nodded, "Time is not on our side, Bro. One of these days they are going to be grown and gone and if you are not careful, you aren't even going to know them."

"Did something happen?" Edward was beginning to panic.

Jasper sighed, "Look man, I just think that there are things going on with Nicholas and maybe Jack. I don't know for sure, it's just a couple of things that I've overheard."

"Drugs? Booze? What?"

"No! Nothing like that, thank God." Jasper looked torn for a moment. "Just talk to them."

Edward knew that he wasn't going to get any more out of him. Jasper was amazing at keeping secrets and confidences.

Edward nodded slowly, "Okay." He looked at Garrett, "I agree to your conditions, Garrett. Please, just tell me what I have to do?"

Garrett stared at Edward for a long moment. He would know if Edward was just blowing smoke up his ass.

"Okay, come to the club at seven o'clock tonight. It is Masquerade Ball night so I've got a mask and cloak for you downstairs." He handed Edward a green wristband. "This means that you are not to be approached. Isabella will be wearing a similar one. Go straight to my office and I will take you to the observation room."

Edward felt sweat run down his forehead, "What then?" his voice sound rough and wheezy.

"You will be able to observe for an hour. Observe only, Edward. No matter what you see, you will not disturb her, do you understand?"

Edward's tongue felt as if it was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He felt as if he was going to pass out.

He reminded himself that this was not about him. This was about Bella and what she needed. She needed this.

"Will," his throat constricted and he felt tears burn behind his eyelids. "Will she be with someone?"

He felt as if his heart was being ripped out of his chest.

Garrett's eyes filled with compassion, "Edward, Bella does not have another Dom, man or woman."

Edward frowned, "But you can see the marks Garrett!"

Garrett raised his eyebrows and Edward gasped as comprehension dawned.

"She did that herself?" he pointed at the photograph.

Garrett sighed, "Just come tonight."

Emmett came back into the room. "Okay, so my IT team is on their way to the club. Can we meet them there? Also, I have to get these pictures over to the lab."

Jasper and Garrett stood up, "I need to get back home. I told Alice that I had a meeting in the city this morning but she is going to have her hands full with the three girls. We are leaving in the morning."

Edward shook hands with his three closest confidants. "Thank you for doing this."

Emmett summed it up quite eloquently as always when he pulled Edward into a tight hug, "Just don't fuck it up, Bro. If you hurt her again, I will kick your ass."

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: Okay so we are into the second chapter of our story and we are getting a little more comfortable with everything, right? **

**I just want to thank each and every one of you that have read and reviewed the last chapter. I am completely blown away by the response that this story has received from FFN and TWCS.**

**I have received tons of questions and comments and although you know that I'm not going to spill the beans, I just want to say that this Bella isn't weak or pathetic. She is amazing and real. She isn't perfect and this Edward was NEVER designed to be perfect, either as a Dom, a husband, friend, lover or father. This is a journey of self-discovery for our characters and for me. I have a plan and no it's not just going to be mindless sex scenes, chapter after chapter, either. **

**To my readers on FFN, I wanted you all to know that I post my chapters with pictures over on TWCS every now and again because I am something of a visual writer so if you want to see what kind of things or people I imagine during this story, take a look on that site.**

**I am technically challenged so posting to a blog or even setting up a blog is a complete mystery and impossibility for me! **

**I also want to thank my wonderful friend and beta, Fiorella for her hard work to make this chapter acceptable – love you stax and more, chickadee.**

**Till next time,**

**Michele**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

***ΩafloΩ***

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 3**

"Can I get you anything, Mister Cullen?"

Jackson looked up from his book to smile at the young stewardess, "A Cherry Coke would be great."

She blushed and walked up the aisle.

"Another conquest, Bro?" Nicholas sniggered as he sat down across the row.

Jackson rolled his eyes, "She would run away screaming."

Nicholas laughed and nodded in agreement.

Once Jack had his drink and they were alone, Nicholas looked over at his brother, "Hey, have you ever used a short handled Cat o' Nine tails?"

Jackson frowned, "Have you been back in Dad's room? I told you to stay out of that room, Nick. Dad will pitch a fit if he finds out, no, when he finds out! You know that he has a fuckin' photographic memory!"

Nicholas shrugged, "Like he will even notice! I don't think that he's been in there for months, or years! Don't worry; I haven't been back in there. It was only that one time. No, I saw this on one of the blogs."

Jackson leaned back and sighed, "Look, Nick, I don't have much more experience than you with this stuff. But I do know that you can't go around brandishing that stuff! You don't know how to use that equipment and I don't know enough to help you. You can do some serious damage if you don't know what you are doing! Fuck, we need to speak to Garrett or Jazz."

Nicholas raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure about them?"

Jackson looked across the plane to where Jared was sitting with his girlfriend.

"Yeah, Jared is sure, he overheard Alice and Kate talking one night and Jazz is cool, but maybe we should approach Garrett first. You know, he has the clubs."

Nicholas nodded, "Okay, so we can do it when we are down in Tahoe."

"That's the plan."

The brothers sat quietly.

"Mom's going to freak the fuck out." Nick said quietly.

Jackson raked his hand though his hair, "We don't know that and in any case, if we are right, Mom knows about this lifestyle at the very least and it's not something that she needs to know. More than anything else Mom and Dad have always told us that they want us to be happy and I know that I've tried to be 'normal' but it's not what I want."

Nick nodded unhappily, "I just don't want them to look at us differently, you know?"

Jack nodded, "No matter what, just remember that we are in this together."

Jackson stared down at his book. He would never have chosen this for himself and definitely not for his little brother.

He had always been aware that he was different. He like being in control and he liked to control as much of his life as possible. As he had entered his teens and his sexual appetite had awakened, Jackson had become more aware of how much he wanted to control his sexual partners.

His first girlfriend, Becky Kimble, was two years older than Jackson and she had asked him to spank her one night. Jackson remembered with a wry smile that he had come in his pants before he had struck her twice. His sixteen year old mind had gone into overdrive.

The feel of her flesh beneath his fingers, the sight of her pale skin turning pink and the sounds of her soft groan had been enough to finish him before he even began.

Jackson had been horrified at how much he had thought about what else they could do and by the end of their relationship six months later, they had explored a few more things that they had researched together.

He had recognized that his dominant nature was not all that strange or out of place after he had done a bit of online research. He was a Dominant. He wanted to become a dominant.

He had kept his secret for the past three years and then only a year before, he had come across a very distraught Nicholas one night while he was home on Spring Break.

Nicholas told him that he was becoming a monster. Apparently he and a couple of his buddies had watched a BDSM movie one night and suddenly all of the things that he had been feeling had just come out. He thought that he was a monster because he wanted to discipline women! He wanted to have them kneel at his feet as he whipped or spanked them.

Jackson had listened as Nick had poured his heart out to him and all the while he had felt so guilty. What if Nick was this way because of him?

Eventually Jackson had confessed that he felt the same way. Not exactly the same but close.

They had talked for hours until Jackson, ever the planner, had come up with a plan.

They would learn as much as they could about the BDSM lifestyle until they could find themselves a mentor or a trainer. In the mean time they would either abstain from sex or just do vanilla if the urge became too great.

A few months before, Nicholas had phoned him at school one night. Apparently, he had been home alone, a rear occurrence in their home, and he had finally managed to open the door in his parents Annex that had always been out of bounds and that was locked with an electronic code lock.

He had been shocked to find that the room was a fully fitted, state of the art, BDSM playroom. After the shock had worn off, they decided that perhaps it was not such a surprise that they had 'followed in his footsteps.'

Nicholas had wanted to talk to Edward about it but Jackson had dissuaded him. If his father knew that Nick had violated his trust by breaking into his private playroom, he would be furious and it would only embarrass their mother.

Jackson didn't want to even think about their mother being a submissive. They all adored Bella. She was the epitome of a loving wife and mother. She was smart, funny, warm and loving. She seldom said a bad word about anyone.

She rarely raised her voice and was always there when any of them needed her. Although she wasn't a pushover–not at all in fact lately Jackson had noticed that she seemed to have a glint in her eyes and a spring in her step that had seemed to be missing the last time he came home.

Jackson smiled as he stared out at the blue sky, his mother was almost perfect.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella sat at Kate's kitchen table playing with the cooling mug of coffee as Kate finished making sandwiches and she put them on the table and sat down.

"How are you doing?"

Bella smiled, "Much better."

"Are you still seeing Paul twice a month?"

Bella nodded, "After each visit to the club. It was one of his and Garrett's conditions. You know it wasn't easy dealing with the guilt. I have been feeling as if I'm cheating on my Master and on my husband. Edward and I don't have any secrets. But this thing is just too big for me to ignore any longer and I know that you don't agree with Garrett and I am so sorry that I've put you in this position but Kate, it's really helping. You have been an amazing teacher."

"Bella, I am your friend and I love you. I was never against you going to the club. I was just worried about you. I worry that this isn't enough for you and that something's going to happen to endanger your marriage."

Bella smiled at Kate sadly, "I think that Edward and I are doing that all on our own, sweetie. Our lives have become so busy that even when we are together, it's as if there are a million other things to think about and talk about that 'we' have just gotten lost in the fray. What I'm doing has helped me to become so much stronger. I feel capable."

Kate smiled at her mentee, "Well, you are looking fantastic."

The two women shared a smile as Bella took another sip of her coffee. Kate nodded at her, "Are you almost done?"

Bella nodded.

"Good, let's go into the gym and we can go through your routine for tonight. I want to be sure that you are using the equipment correctly. I know that Garrett is there if something happens, but let's be as prepared as possible, okay?"

Bella smiled and she couldn't help the feeling of anxious excitement. This was one of the conditions that Kate and Garrett had insisted upon when Bella had come to see them a few months before.

Bella had to learn how to use each piece of equipment proficiently before she was allowed to use the private playroom at the club.

The other condition was that Bella had to use their home as a base whenever she was going to the club so that Garrett could monitor her safety. Garrett always made sure that he was at the club when Bella was there and most times he would either drive her back and forwards himself or he would hire a driver and a town car for her.

At first Bella tried to protest but then Garrett had settled her arguments when he said that she had two choices: do things his way or he would tell Edward.

Once in the gym/playroom, Bella and Kate stripped down to shorts and cropped tops. Kate put Bella through her 'paces' and positions before they moved onto the hardware that was locked in several cabinets along the wall.

"What are you using tonight?" Kate asked.

Bella smiled, "I've got a taste for the suede flogger and the leather cat o' nine tails."

Kate gestured for her to retrieve the two instruments and she laughed at Bella's excitement.

"You are eager aren't you?"

Bella turned around to face her friend, "Do you remember when Edward and I first got into this lifestyle? Remember how terrified I was that he was going to beat me or abuse me?"

Kate nodded. She remembered many discussions that they had.

"Well, is it strange that of what I miss the most about it is the discipline of pain? It's not even the mind-blowing sex or orgasms," she laughed, "Although I really miss those! No, it's the feeling of submitting to the will of my Master, the joy that I got from knowing how much my submission was pleasing to him, even if it meant asking for and receiving his discipline."

Bella sighed as she ran a finger over the soft tendrils of the whip in her hand, "Now I use the feeling that I get from this test of my submission, as a way of giving in to what I crave most without being unfaithful to my Master."

Kate shook her head as she turned away from her friend.

Communication had always been the stumbling block between Edward and Bella and it seemed that even twenty years of marriage had not helped that! They were both so stubborn and strong willed that it was all that Kate could do not to lock them in a room until they got their act together! They were their own worst enemies!

An hour later, Bella had showered and changed into her street clothes again and she was on her way to the building that housed CULLEN & PARTNERS INC.

Anderson had arranged special parking for Bella and as soon as she stepped out of her car, a tall African American man had stepped forward to greet her politely and escort her to the penthouse offices where Anderson and Brian spent most of their days now.

Bella fidgeted nervously as the lift whooshed up to the top floor. When the doors opened, Bella was once again met by a middle-aged woman who smiled at her politely.

"Good morning Mrs. Cullen, Mr. Anderson is expecting you. Please come this way."

Bella exchanged a nervous smile with the man who gave her a small nod, "I'll wait to escort you back to your vehicle ma'am." He said quietly.

Bella followed the woman to high vaulted double doors and after a soft knock she opened the door and stepped back.

Bella could not help the smile from spreading across her face as she saw her old friend and body guard turn away from the large windows.

"Andy!" she exclaimed as the giant of a man grinned from ear to ear and for a moment his face looked youthful and happy.

Anderson hugged Bella briefly and he led her over to a large black leather sofa.

He handed her a bottle of water and sat down next to her.

"How are you, Bella? You are looking gorgeous as ever."

"Flatterer! How are Shelley and the kids?"

Cordon smiled proudly, "They are doing great! Peter is still determined to join the Forces after high school and his mother blames me and Millie is the cutest but most precocious child. She is twelve going on thirty."

After speaking for a few minutes, Anderson nodded at Bella, "As much as I love to catch up with you, I know that this isn't a social call. What's going on, Bella?"

Bella bit her lip before she pulled out the plastic covered envelope. "That was delivered by hand a few days ago. I have tried not to contaminate it with my fingerprints."

Anderson's blue eyes grew cold as he stared at the envelope that she was clutching tightly.

"Put it here on the table, Bella." He said softly.

Bella swallowed and followed his instructions as he quickly rose and collected a few items from his desk drawer and from a closet behind his desk.

When he got back, Bella saw that he was wearing a pair of latex gloves. He handed her a pair before he picked up the envelope and shook out the contents.

Bella watched as he deftly used a pair of tweezers to turn the photograph around. She tried not to focus on the pictures of her husband laughing and happy with another woman but instead she watched as Anderson opened what looked like a doctor's medical bag and within minutes he was dusting a powder over the envelope, and the photograph. After he had managed to pull off a couple of prints and he had gone over the picture with a magnifying glass, he stood up and walked over to his desk and picked up his phone.

"Mrs. Silverton, please get Mike in here ASAP," he put the phone down and leaned against the desk as he looked at Bella.

"Mike is one of our best agents and he is an absolute whizz when it comes to getting information. I suppose that you checked to see if the photos had been doctored in any way?"

"Of course. It was one of the first things that I did. I just don't know what this person is after. I mean I know that Edward isn't cheating on me and after all this time, whoever it is should know better than this to rattle me." Bella said with a dismissive toss of her head.

"Bella; I am not trying to hurt you, but you need to tell me what's been going on." Anderson said gently.

Bella nodded.

"I know that." Bella was wringing her hands together. "Things between Edward and I have been a little strained. It's not another woman or anything, but he has been away from home a lot and we haven't really had time to ourselves."

Anderson wanted nothing more than to have Edward Cullen in front of him at that moment because he would have liked the chance to slap the bejeezus out of him, but instead he just tried to smile encouragingly.

"If there isn't anyone else, then what about this photograph?" he asked.

Bella shook her head, "She's an artist that he is working with–but that isn't really what's got me worried."

She could deny it all she liked, but Anderson could that she felt a little unsure of her answer.

"Are you involved an any activity that could be used against either you, Edward or your family?" Anderson asked.

He noticed straight away that Bella when so pale at his question that he thought she was going to pass out and he put a hand on her arm.

"I can't help you if you don't tell me what's going on"

Bella shook her head to clear it. She knew that Anderson had to have an idea of their lifestyle from working and living so closely with them, but they had never discussed it and she was loath to begin now.

"I… I… it's not illegal." Was all she said and she tried to get the sofa to swallow her whole.

Anderson didn't need her to elaborate. He nodded quickly, "And there isn't anyone else involved?"

Bella shook her head, "No, I swear! What concerns me is–why did they send this now? I mean, what would anyone have to gain by sending this to me? What are they after?"

Anderson shook his head, "That's what we need to find out. Look Bella, leave it with me. I'll make sure that I put our most trusted people onto this. We will see what we can get from the physical evidence and we'll review the security disks from the ranch."

He could see that Bella was only listening with half an ear and he stepped away from her to take a small white envelope off his desk.

"Bella; I promise you, we will do everything that we can to find out what is going on here. It's probably nothing you know, just another crazy fan or something."

They smiled at each other. Over the years there had been a few of those to contend with.

Bella stood up and picked up her purse but Anderson put his hand on her arm, "Tell him." Bella opened her mouth to protest but Anderson shook his head, "Bella, I know that you have only told me a bit of the story, but if I can give you some advice, probably the same advise that I gave you twenty years ago after Edward was shot. Tell him. Talk to your husband because you know that 'a house divided will not stand in the face of adversity'.

Bella nodded and on impulse she wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him.

"Thank you Cord. I miss you like crazy you know."

Anderson smiled as they stepped apart.

"It's not as if we don't see you guys, just not as much as we would like to. Our meetings with Emmett usually take place here. Levi and Quil are doing a good job, right?"

Bella rolled her eyes, "As if you even have to ask. They do a great job of securing the ranch and if we need them, they are always only a phone call away."

As they reached the door it opened and a good-looking man with blonde hair and twinkling blue eyes smiled at them. Anderson narrowed his eyes when he saw the other man's gaze linger on the beautiful woman next to him.

"Mike! Took you long enough!" he snapped.

The man paled and he swallowed nervously, "Sorry Boss, good day Ma'am." He said politely.

Anderson nodded to where the photo lay on the table.

"Glove up and get that to the lab ASAP. There are a couple of fingerprints that I managed to lift but there might be trace on the flap from saliva or trace inside. I want this to be your top priority and this is 'eyes only'–understood?"

Mike stared at him for a moment before he looked at Bella again. Anderson could see the moment that he recognized who Bella was.

"Got it?" Anderson growled.

Mike jumped and darted across the room, pulling a pair of gloves from his pocket.

"Got it Boss, no problem."

Anderson steered Bella to the lifts where the man that had escorted her from her car was waiting.

Anderson held out his hand to Bella and she was surprised when she looked down to see the white envelope in his hand.

"What's this?"

"Call it an emergency kit. If anything else arrives for you that is unmarked or unexpected, I want you to use the gloves inside here to handle it. Also, slit the flap open carefully and shake out the contents or use the tweezers inside here. There is also a Ziploc bag to put anything that you find into. Remember to seal it immediately and then call me."

He put his hand on Bella's shoulders, "Be vigilant in the next few weeks. When are you leaving for the lake?"

Anderson, Shelley and the kids were joining them at Lake Tahoe for Independence Day.

"We will fly down with Max the week before the 4th."

Anderson hugged her briefly at the escalator doors, "Try not to worry and take care of you, Bella." He said quietly.

Bella walked to her car and thanked the man for his escort and she drove back to Sausalito.

Anderson walked back into his office his cell phone rang. He frowned when he saw who was calling.

_Emmett._

Anderson didn't believe in coincidences.

"Emmett."

"Andy, listen something's come up. I need the best we have in IT and forensics to come to Suite 7 at the W. Edward's here and he received a hand delivered envelope which contained a couple of photographs of Bella."

Anderson seldom felt any fear but for the first time in years, he felt the fine hairs at the back of his neck stand up.

No, he didn't believe in coincidence – ever.

"Emmett, we are at 'D.A.R.C.' with immediate effect. Switch over to Sat in five." Anderson snapped as he disconnected the phone call.

He quickly sent Brian, his partner and the company's ten top agents in their respective fields a coded SMS and made his way to their situation room as another phone began to ring in his pocket. This one was a flat black phone that operated via satellite and was untraceable through the usual hacking methods. Every one of his top-level agents and upper management had one that was fully charged at all times in case they were ever under threat.

The acronym D.A.R.C. stood for exactly that – Dangerous – Averse – Rogue – Conditions. This meant that any correspondence was to be conducted in safe surroundings and only their most trusted, most experienced staff were put onto that job.

Men began filing in as Anderson took a bottle of water from the glass fridge and walked over to his chair as he wondered what the fuck the Cullen's had got into now?

*ΩafloΩ*

She stopped outside Kate and Garrett's home just after four o'clock that afternoon.

Garrett answered the door with a smile, "Hey Bella, come in."

Bella accepted the drink that Garrett offered her as they took their seats in the sitting room.

"Kate's just taken Kirsty to her friend for a sleepover."

They chatted for a couple of minutes before Garrett asked what Bella's plans were for that evening.

Bella blushed before she answered and Garrett thought of how young she looked when she did that.

"I've kind of got a 'scene' in mind and I know how I want it to play out. I've got everything that I need with me. I'm not sure if I will need the full two hours, though."

Garrett nodded, "How are your sessions with Paul going?"

Bella nodded, "They are going well. I have another session tomorrow morning with him." She rolled her eyes, "I know that he is going to ask me whether I've spoken to Edward yet."

Garrett raised an eyebrow, "What will be your excuse this time?"

"I don't need an excuse, G; there is other stuff going on right now that is more important. I will tell him – but," she stopped talking and stared at her friend silently.

Garrett could feel her fear rolling off her shoulders. He formed an idea and decided to back off for now. He could feel that Bella was more anxious than usual and her pent up frustration and anger was palatable.

_Hmm, interesting_, he mused.

"Okay, Bells, whatever you say. Why don't you start getting ready? Kate will be home soon and I've got to do something for the club before we leave."

Bella nodded.

Bella made her way to the guest room that she used when she was here. She smiled as she walked into the pretty but fairly plain room. She knew that this was Kate's bedroom that she used when she and Garrett were in an overnight scene.

Bella found a lot of comfort in being in the room. It helped to put her into the correct frame of mind and she spent the next half an hour writing in her journal at the small white writing desk that stood in the corner of the room.

Once she had finished, she checked that her hair was straight and brushed it out until it was shining before she pulled it up and back into a rather severe looking ponytail.

Bella smiled at the dress that she had put onto the bed earlier. This was one of the boldest dresses that she had ever worn.

It was black netting with bright, embroidered flowers in the most strategic places. At first glance it was demure, until you realize that there was no underwear beneath the thin fabric.

Bella took extra care getting dressed. She knew that if her submissive friends knew what she had been up to, they would think that she was crazy. Hell, she even thought that she was crazy when she agreed to Paul's suggestion.

She thought back over that conversation as she zipped the dress that fitted her like a second skin.

_The feelings of frustration had been building up for a while but every time Bella thought about speaking to Edward, she would retreat into silence instead. _

_Bella had always been good at masking her feelings and pushing her own needs and wants aside for the rest of her family. She knew that it wasn't healthy and she knew that she owed it to her husband to talk to him, but she didn't want to hear him say that he no longer wanted her in that way._

_As her feelings grew, so did her aversion to eating. One morning, after the girls had left for school and Max had been dropped at kindergarten, Bella dropped in to visit Alice for a cup of coffee._

_Bella sat at the kitchen table, watching her friend bounce around the room as she put fresh muffins onto a plate._

"_What's got you so worked up this morning, Twister?" Bella teased._

_Alice actually blushed as she brought everything to the table and sat down._

"_Jazz and I are going to the Munch tomorrow night. The boys are busy this weekend and so I'm going to be collared for the entire weekend! Oh my, Bells, I'm so excited! It's been months since we have been able to do this. You know, usually it's an hour here or there, but an entire weekend!" Alice beamed._

_Bella knew that she had responded correctly because Alice had not noticed anything and soon afterwards, she had made some excuse to leave._

_Bella had rushed to her car and had driven away, not thinking or stopping until she was parked outside Paul's practice in Sausalito._

_As soon as Paul saw her, he had cancelled his next two appointments and he had tried to find out why his former patient and friend was sitting crying her eyes out on his sofa._

*ΩafloΩ*

_Paul looked at her as she wiped her face with the crumbled up tissue and he sighed, battling not to let his frustration show._

"_Isabella, I need to ask you this and I want you to think about your answer before you speak."_

_Bella looked up at him with red rimmed eyes. She had spent the last four weeks on his sofa, crying about the fact that Edward was not prepared to meet her needs as a submissive._

"_What do you want?"_

_Bella frowned, "What do you mean?"_

"_What are you hoping to gain from coming to see me? What do you want me to do for you?"_

_Bella looked embarrassed as she wrung her hands together, "I'm not… I don't… um," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she looked at him again. "I want to be happy. I thought that I was, I mean I am! I love my husband and my children and I have a rewarding career, so I should be happy! Right?"_

_Paul nodded but kept silent._

"_But – I'm not." Bella whispered as her eyes filled with tears that she blinked away._

"_I am a submissive. That is a part of who I am and not being able to be that way is just killing me! And I just can't tell him! I know that he loves me and that he is only thinking of me, but him not wanting me that way just hurts so much and I don't know what to do about it! Tell me what to do!" as her tears gave way to anger and frustration, Bella's voice became stronger and more determined._

_Paul sat back against his desk with a small smile of satisfaction._

"_Finally, now we can get somewhere. So, do you want me to find you a Dom?"_

_Bella gasped, "WHAT? NO!"_

_Paul actually laughed as Bella glared at him indignantly, "So it's not all sexual?"_

_This time Bella rolled her eyes, "You know that it's not. In fact my sex life is fine, if not a little boring because he treats me as if I'm going to break if we heat things up too much. No, it's so much more than that. I miss the discipline of the routines. I miss serving him. I miss relinquishing control to him. I miss the scenes and the playroom of course." She blushed._

"_I miss sharing my deepest thoughts and desires with my Master, giving him my absolute trust. I feel weaker, out of control. I feel as if I'm hiding a part of myself and I'm denying who I am. I feel no different than before I met Edward, when I lived in denial of my true identity in my teens and early twenties – and I HATE IT!"_

_Paul allowed Bella to vent her anger and pain as she pulled a pillow over her face and began to scream into it for several minutes before she began to sob noisily._

_After what seemed like a long time, Bella raised her red, blotchy face to find Paul kneeling in front of her with a bottle of water in his one hand and a soft damp cloth in the other._

_She cleaned her face and drank almost half the bottle before she spoke._

_Her voice was raspy and thick, "So, what do I do now?"_

_Paul took a seat next to her._

"_Well, the good news is that you are not crazy. You may be a little depressed but it's nothing that changing your attitude and some routines won't take care of. Now, I'm going to tell you what I've told a few people in your position."_

"_Essentially, you are a submissive without a Dom. In order to stay happy within yourself, you need to allow yourself time to be a submissive. I know that this isn't easy with a house full of kids but you have enough help to be able to use your playroom for a couple of hours a week, right?"_

_Bella nodded but Paul could see that she wanted to say something and he gestured for her to speak._

"_I can't use our playroom without Edward. I've tried, but it feels wrong somehow and I don't know what to do in there alone."_

_Paul pursed his lips and he thought of a solution._

"_Okay, I have a suggestion but I will need to clear it first and you will have to take a few lessons on how to service your desire to submit and you need a safe place to do this."_

_Bella nodded._

_Paul excused himself at that point to make a phone call and when he returned he was smiling._

"_Have you ever been to Breaking Dawn?" he asked._

And that was how it began. Paul contacted Garrett and Kate, who both agreed to give Bella 'lessons' and Garrett agreed that Bella could use one of his playrooms in the club on the condition that she would only ever be there when he was on duty. She always used the executive private entrance that led from the underground parking to his private suite and then he would take her to the room that she would use.

After two months of 'lessons' and mentoring, Bella was told that she was ready for the playroom inside the club.

Bella had been going to Breaking Dawn for almost three months but she felt an amazing difference within herself. She was more in control and it felt good to train every day.

She still had moments of insecurity, just like she did when she watched the program on television, but the most part her emotions were more controlled.

She had also seen an improvement in her body and muscle tone. Her hips and but were firmer and tighter than before and she felt a new confidence that had been missing before.

The only thing that she and Paul disagreed on now, was the fact that she still had not told Edward what her fortnightly visits to the city entailed.

There was a knock at the door and Kate stuck her head around the corner.

"Wow, Bella, you look spectacular!"

Bella smiled and she turned back to put the last swipe of red lipstick on.

"Turn around and let me look at you."

Kate almost didn't recognize the exotic beauty standing in front of her. Bella's dress fell to her knees but it fitted every curve like a loving glove. The flowers covered all of her strategic bits and that made her even more desirable as she wasn't on display for all to see. There was just a hint of the bare skin that lay beneath the lace and net.

Kate's mouth popped open when she looked down at the six inch black stilettos that Bella was wearing.

"Fuck me," she muttered and Bella laughed aloud.

"Don't let Garrett catch you saying that to me!"

The two women giggled and Bella was about to put the lightweight crushed satin cape around her shoulders when Garrett walked in with a grin.

"What are you two – GOOD GOD!" His eyes were wide with shock and Bella thought that he looked apprehensive.

"Bella, no way! You cannot go out in that!" he stammered.

Kate narrowed her eyes warningly and she looked from Bella's anxious face to her husband.

"Why not? You aren't her father, G, or her keeper. Bella looks hotter than hot!" she smiled encouragingly at her friend. Kate was pissed off because it had taken Bella months to begin to show confidence within herself and Kate did not want Garrett to screw up what Bella had worked so hard for!

Garrett swallowed convulsively before he nodded, "Yeah, too hot. Fuck, Bella, you are going to give anyone that sees you a heart attack!"

Bella grinned as she twirled around to show him the full effect of the dress.

Garrett palmed his face, as he thought to himself that Edward was going to kill him before he had a stroke.

_Fuck! I'm a dead man._

He looked at Bella and smiled brightly, "You look absolutely exquisite Bella, but you have to keep that cover up on until you are inside the private room, understand? I don't need a riot on my hands tonight!"

Bella grinned at him as she wrapped the almost floor length pashminas around herself.

Kate was staring at Garrett suspiciously. Something was wrong. Garrett had been preoccupied when he had gotten home that morning but she knew better than to interfere or bug him for information. He would tell her when he was ready.

"Are you ready?" Garrett asked Bella before he put an arm around Kate's waist. "I will try not to be too late tonight. Tony will be in around nine to take over so I will be here before ten."

Kate nodded.

As the door closed behind Bella and Garrett, Kate had an idea.

She hurried up to their bedroom. She was going to surprise Garrett at the club. They hadn't had a night out in ages and with both the kids away, they could have a few drinks, dance and maybe even commandeer one of the private rooms. Kate smiled as she opened the locked side of her closet that held her 'special' outfit.

_This was going to be such fun!_

*ΩafloΩ*

As Garrett drove across the Golden Gate Bridge, he thought about the evening ahead and he wondered how things would go. He felt terrible that he was betraying Bella's confidence but at the same time he was worried about her safety now. Whoever had hacked into their security system was good at covering their tracks but not better than Emmett's men, thankfully.

After going over the system, they had detected an 'additional user' on the system. The 'user' had remote access and had given themselves 'administrative permissions' which meant that they could see every room in the building including the parking lot where one of the photos were taken from.

After a few minutes, Emmett suggested that they encounter 'computer problems' that evening because whoever was accessing their system had received inside help.'

Garrett had taken that news hard. He trusted everyone that worked in his clubs–he had to because confidentiality was a top priority in that lifestyle. Garrett had given Emmett full permission to investigate every single employee. He had also agreed to have one of Emmett's security team, Eric Yorkie come on board as a new staff member to monitor the situation while the rest of the team traced the remote location.

"Are you okay, Garrett? You are quiet this evening." Bella asked.

Garrett nodded, "Yeah, it's just work stuff. Listen, I want you to put your mask on before we arrive tonight. There could be some paparazzi hanging around because it's such a popular event."

Bella paled at the thought of a member of the press taking a photograph of her entering or leaving the club–it would be disastrous for them all.

"Have you given any more thought to telling Edward?" Garrett asked.

Bella nodded, "I want to tell him this weekend. I thought that we could talk when he gets home."

"Do you want us to be there with you?"

Bella shrugged, "I was thinking of asking him if we could stay in the city for the night and then that way, if I need to call you guys for reinforcements then we can just come to you."

Garrett nodded, "That's a great idea."

He looked over at where Bella was staring blindly out of the window.

"You know, Bella, you have come such a long way in the past few months. You have grown more confident and although I know that it's been difficult for you, you have been amazing. I don't want you to think that anyone, especially not Edward, has the right to make you question your self-worth or self esteem."

Bella smiled at her friend, "Thank you for saying that."

"I mean it–you give that jackass hell, girl! He has been a shocking example of a dominant and he has shown absolutely no regard for your feelings as his wife or his sub, but you know that he loves you. We both know that he has this misguided notion that you are going to break or shatter into a million pieces at any moment."

"I know."

Garrett continued, "It is up to you to stand up for yourself and your rights as a submissive and a woman."

"You are right, of course you are and I think that I've changed too much to ever go back to that frightened little girl that I was."

Garrett patted her knee, "Good girl. Well here we are."

Garrett parked in his private bay and got out of his car, taking the time to look around. The underground garage should have been secure, but after that morning, he knew that they were not one hundred percent safe anywhere.

Bella steeped from the car and she quickly put her black feather and lace mask in place. Her red lips looked sinful against her pale skin and the black material and Garrett smirked as he led her to the lift.

He hoped that Edward was ready for this.

*ΩafloΩ*

At exactly seven o'clock Edward knocked impatiently on Garrett's office door.

"Come in."

Edward walked in wearing a pair of black jeans, black dress shirt and black boots. He was wearing his wrist-band and the three quarter gold and black leather mask that Garrett had given him. Thankfully, Edward had the forethought to cover his unique hair with a knitted cap.

"Hey Edward, you are right on time."

Edward nodded. He was radiating tension. He felt sick and out of focus all day long. Even though Garrett had tried to waylay his fears, Edward wasn't sure what to expect.

After everyone had left, Edward had the rest of the day to 'stew' in his own memories and imagination.

Twenty years of memories played in his head.

Bella kneeling before him with her small hands wrapped around his cock and her mouth bringing him infinite pleasure, time and again.

Bella on the whipping bench or over his lap, her pert little bottom pink, her mouth slack as she was lost between pleasure and pain.

Bella beneath him, writhing with need, keening and calling his name as she came apart.

Bella.

All day he had been haunted by the memories, each one of them more special than the last and overshadowing it all was the thought that if she had moved on, he would never experience any of it with her again.

Edward realized that Garrett was talking to him and he hadn't heard a word.

"Edward?"

Edward shook his head, "Huh?"

The older man put his hand on Edward's shoulder and chuckled, "Come on, I can see that you aren't going to be of any use until this is over."

Edward nodded and he was grateful when Garrett put a glass of some dark liquid into his hand.

Garrett sighed and nodded.

"Okay, we have disconnected the link from the private room so we will need to go to the observation room. Bella is well aware that I keep an eye on her, so we are not invading her privacy. Let's go."

Garrett led Edward down a hallway and up to a solid unmarked black door. He pulled a key card from his pocket and he walked into a dark room. It looked like an empty dance studio, with one wall being windows from ceiling to floor and a wooden floor.

There were several chairs that faced the 'window'. Once Edward's eyes had adjusted to the darkness he walked towards the 'window' and he saw a room that looked the same as the one that he was in, only bigger. Cabinets lined one wall and a whipping bench stood on one side. Edward's eyes widened as he recognized the piece of equipment in the middle of the room and he was about to question Garrett with the door to the next room opened and Edward let out a gasp.

She was an absolute vision.

Her hair was pulled up into a high ponytail that accentuated her fine features. She appeared not to have an excessive amount of make up on except for her luscious red lips and her eyes looked large and dark against the mask.

"Fuck me." Edward whispered as he stared at her in one of the sexiest dresses that he had ever seen. Her feet were enclosed in the most dick hardening pair of black stilettos that made her legs look a mile long.

Edward groaned as he felt the uncomfortable pressure against the fly of his jeans.

He heard Garrett chuckle but he ignored him.

Without looking at the mirrored wall, Bella put the bag that she was carrying onto the chair that stood next to the door and after walking around the room, Bella slipped a disk into the CD player and she took a deep breath and stood absolutely still for a moment before she reached behind her and unzipped her dress.

Edward was vaguely aware of the fact that he was almost panting as he watched the private striptease taking place before him. Edward felt his heart stutter as one of his earlier instrumental compositions filtered into the room and Edward watched as Bella smiled tenderly as she peeled the dress down her arms.

Bella emptied her mind as she slowly undressed and neatly hung her dress up on the hook behind the door. She was naked beneath her clothes and with a soft sigh she closed her eyes and cleared her mind of everything except the thought of her Master.

Even though Edward was not her Master actively, he was still the one–the only one that she would ever want to serve, please and satisfy.

"Master," she murmured as she took a cushion from a chair and put it on the ground before she moved into her 'waiting' position. The stiletto heels dug into her bottom slightly as she opened her knees and she lifted her hands and clasped them behind her head. Her breasts were soft but still firm as her nipples pebbled in the cool room.

Bella kept her eyes lowered just as she would if she were waiting for him to walk through that door.

Edward's mouth had dropped open as he stared at the vision before him. Bella had never looked more alluring or more vulnerable as she did spread before him and he felt a lump in his throat as he realized that he had missed seeing her like this.

A feeling deep inside of him rose up and before Edward knew what he was doing, he was crying quietly.

So many lost years between them. So much time had passed. So very many regrets. What had been the point of working? What was the reason behind his passionate drive to succeed when he could have; no, he _should_ have been home, with this magnificent woman all that time?

_It was a shock when Bella had fallen pregnant with Max shortly after her thirty-eighth birthday. Edward had taken her away on holiday and while in Florence, she had contracted a touch of 'flu which had turned into a respiratory infection. Edward and Bella had both forgotten about extra protection when she was put onto antibiotics and two months later, Bella remembered that she had not had a period and they discovered that she was pregnant._

_Right from the beginning though, that pregnancy had been different from all of the others. _

_Instead of blossoming like she did previously, Bella was short-tempered and ill for almost six months. _

_Edward had watched from the sidelines as Bella seemed to fade away as the pregnancy progressed._

_She was lethargic and sad most of the time and the increased sex drive that she had previously was nonexistent. But even if she had wanted to, Edward was terrified of hurting or upsetting her._

_Her morning sickness was so bad that she had to be put onto a drip three times._

_It was during one such stay in hospital that Edward had snapped._

_That had been his first mistake, but he was so scared that he was going to lose her, that he would have tried anything._

_Doctor Ephraim Landenberg was a well-known television psychiatrist that happened to be visiting someone when he overheard Edward and Charlie speaking in the hallway of the hospital._

"_Excuse me, my name is Ephraim Landenberg, I'm sorry but I couldn't help but overhear you talking. You said that your wife is depressed? And she's pregnant?"_

_Edward had been so desperate for help that neither he nor Charlie stopped to think or ask any questions._

"_She is pregnant with our seventh child and she has been really ill this time around. Can you help her?"_

_Dr Landenberg smiled and produced a card from inside his jacket pocket, "That is the least that I can do! My dear friend, I will have her up and running around in no time!"_

_Four months later Bella had given birth and she was even more depressed than before, despite the fact that Dr Landenberg had her on various medication as well as insisting that Edward be very gentle with her and treat her like a 'fragile egg'. _

_His entire family had disagreed with him and Charlie, but Edward kept hoping to see and improvement in Bella._

_Bella had been unable to breastfeed Maxwell because of her medication and that caused even more stress and anxiety. Her feelings of inadequacy intensified but when Edward went to see him, demanding that he refer Bella to another doctor, the smarmy doctor had accused Edward of trying to push her too hard, which only made Edward feel guilty about wanting her to get back to 'normal'._

_Fortunately Bella had fallen ill and upon a thorough examination it was discovered that Bella would need to have a hysterectomy. Thankfully Edward had called Paul and he began to wean Bella off her medication. _

_Over the next two and a half years Bella improved slowly until she had picked up her paintbrush and her camera again._

_Edward had wanted nothing more than to take Bella back into the playroom, but the only time that he had, Bella had become ill and had safe worded._

_Edward vowed that he would do anything to keep his wife happy and healthy and if that meant that he had to put that side of his life, or their lives away for good, then that is what he was going to do._

Now as he stared at his beautifully broken wife kneeling alone in a playroom, he was almost overcome with remorse and guilt.

Garrett pulled Edward roughly into his arms as he pulled him away from the observation window. The rooms were all soundproofed and the glass was virtually impenetrable, but he didn't want to risk disturbing Bella. She cherished her time at the club.

Garrett looked sideways and Edward and before Edward could move, Garrett had him pinned to a chair.

"Don't even think about it! You have to tread really carefully here, Edward. I'm only letting you see her because I can't convince you that she does not have another master. Now, if you are not going to behave, I will have you removed." Garrett's voice was hard and cold and Edward knew that he meant every word that he said.

With a defeated sigh Edward nodded, "Okay, I'll behave."

Garrett nodded, "I can see many hours of training in your future, Edward. You have fallen into bad habits."

Edward inwardly groaned but he knew better than to say anything to his former mentor. Garrett was a hard task master and Edward knew that he was not going to be easy on him.

Instead he turned his attention back to the window where Bella had remained in position for at least fifteen minutes.

Bella had always had a problem in staying still for a long time, but it seemed that the pupil had mastered the art.

He could see how calm and relaxed she appeared although her posture was absolutely perfect.

Text book perfect.

Edward felt his heart swell with pride for his wife.

As if she could sense his presence Bella raised her head at that moment and she stared at the wall of mirror.

"Master…" she whispered as if she expected him to answer her or to appear.

Edward wondered if she could feel his presence.

Bella rolled to her feet and she stunned Edward with her gracefulness. Edward noticed that she was still wearing her ridiculously high heels and the sight of her firm ass and long legs were enough to make him whimper.

Bella walked over to the bag and she bent over.

"What's she doing?" Edward whispered.

Garrett shook his head, "Just watch."

Bella pulled several lengths of what looked like tape, a cat 'o nine tails and a suede flogger.

"Just watch,"

Edward couldn't have looked away even if he had wanted to as Bella stood once more in the middle of the room with the flogger in her hand.

She took a deep breath and began to move the instrument lightly at first almost in a figure '8' pattern over her back. After several minutes, Edward could see the sheen of perspiration over her skin when she threw the flogger down and picked up the cat.

*ΩafloΩ*

As Bella worked the Cat over her warmed up flesh, her mind went back to the first time that she had stepped into this room.

She had spent the entire hour weeping.

She had been so unsure and afraid but with Garrett and Paul's encouragement Bella had forced herself to overcome her feelings of guilt until she could almost block those feelings out completely.

Her need for punishment was somewhat soothed by the bite of the tendrils from the cat o' nine tales but she knew that it still wasn't enough. Nothing would really heal the hole in her heart until she 'confessed' how she was feeling to Edward.

Bella felt a rush of anger and frustration wash over her and her stroke intensified until a knot in the leather caught the underside of her breast and she flinched, halting her lashing.

She realized that she was panting with the exertion that she had used in her anger and she threw the whip away from herself as she walked over to the mirrors to look at her back.

"Shit!" she exclaimed when she saw the angry red welts. While some of them would fade overnight, she knew that she was going to have some residual marks the next day.

"I suppose, I have no choice now but to tell you what I've been up to, Edward. I wonder how much you are going to freak out at me. Maybe you won't even care, and that's what scares me." Bella murmured as she ran her fingers over some of the worst marks.

With a sigh Bella turned away from the mirror and once again moved to kneel on the floor, this time, she dropped her head to the floor and in the silence of the room Edward's heart almost broke as he heard her next words.

"Forgive me Master. I have failed you and broken my vows to you. Please forgive me."

*ΩafloΩ*

On the other side of the mirror, Edward was biting on his first hard to keep his cries from being heard. He could not believe that his beautiful wife had resorted to self-flagellation in order to maintain this balance in her life.

What have I done?

Edward stood like a statue until Bella got up and disappeared into the adjoining bathroom with her bag and clothes.

A little while later she reappeared with her face devoid of makeup, her hair pulled back into the high ponytail was still damp and she was dressed in a pair of leggings and an off the shoulder T-shirt and ballet slippers.

Edward smiled because she looked no older than Alexis. She carefully packed everything into her bag and wiped the floor with a disinfectant wipe before she took a few deep breaths and with a nod to the camera in the corner of the room, Bella turned out the light and left.

"Where is she going now?" Edward asked as he stared into the darkened room.

"There is a car waiting in the basement to take her back to our place. We insisted that she come back to our house so that we can give her the aftercare that she needs and we can check that she hasn't hurt herself too badly." Garrett explained.

"Has that happened before?"

Garrett chuckled, "In the beginning it was quite a challenge for Bella not to injure herself but she has become far more agile over the past few months."

Edward nodded. He looked at his friend, "Thank you for taking care of her when I didn't," he said.

Garrett nodded shortly, "I was more tempted to hunt your ass down and whip the shit out of you, believe me but then I realized that this wasn't about you as much as it was about Bella. You fucked up badly Edward, but you can fix this."

"I want to, but I don't know where to begin." Edward said as they made their way back to Garrett's office.

"Listening, Edward, that's where you begin. Think about everything that you have heard and seen today. Talk to Bella, get her to open up to you, properly and listen to what she tells you and then talk to her. Let her know how you have been feeling. Find out what your wife wants and then move heaven and earth if you need to – but give it to her!"

After reconnecting the 'broken' feed into the room that Bella was using, Garrett and Edward made their way down to the private parking area.

"Edward," Garrett called as Edward was about to slip into his rental car, "fight for her–you and she are worth fighting for."

"I intend to." Edward said grimly.

Hours later Edward stood staring out of the window. The room behind him was as dark as the night but still he could not find sleep.

His earlier phone call to Bella had been difficult, as he had to pretend not to be any wiser. He had begun by telling Bella that he had finished his work early and he was spending the night in San Francisco rather that drive at night.

Bella had sounded nervous when she had admitted that she was spending the night at Garrett and Kate's house.

They made arrangements to meet in Edward's suite for breakfast.

His mind had been a scrambled mess with the events of the past two days and yes, he was worried about the implications of the general public finding out about his and Bella's lifestyle but he was more concerned about the look of sadness on Bella's face inside the playroom as she had apologized for some imaginary sin.

He was determined to fix this, beginning tomorrow.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: Thank you to everyone for continuing to read and review – your response has been overwhelming.**

**Let me know what you think!**

**Till next time,**

**Michele**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 4**

Bella was tired when she got back to Kate and Garrett's home and after Kate applied cream into her back, Bella fell asleep quickly, but her night was full of disturbing dreams.

When she woke, far too early to disturb anyone, Bella checked her back, bottom and thighs. There were a few small bruises from where the knots of the cat had struck her, and a couple of fading streaks. Bella sighed as she pulled on one of Edward's button downs that she liked to use instead of a robe when he wasn't home and used the small adjoining bathroom.

She had given herself permission to take the day off from exercising, but she was craving a run, so she dressed quickly, scribbled a note which she left next to the coffee machine and let herself quietly out of the house.

After she had stretched, Bella began to run along the quiet street towards the forest. It was one of the things that she missed about living in Sausalito. The smell of the sea air and the redwood forests that surrounded the area was unique to the Bay area and Bella missed it and the breathtaking views.

With a deep breath Bella began to run down the Alta Trail. She turned left at the fork in the pathway and ran along Morning Sun Trail because she knew that it was more populated at that time of the morning and she was acutely aware of how vulnerable she was.

As she ran she thought about what she was going to say to Edward. He had called the previous night just as she was climbing into bed and had surprised her by saying that he had finished early and rather than wait, he had flown home.

They were meeting up at Garrett and Kate's house that morning. Bella had told Edward that she had a session with Paul that morning and her mouth had popped open when he had told her that he too had an appointment. There was a tense silence before he had asked her quietly to sit in on part of his session.

Although he had quickly assured her that nothing was wrong, Bella had tossed and turned for a couple of hours as she worried about what was going on.

Bella couldn't get that damn photograph out of her mind either! She kept wondering why someone had sent that picture to her. The pictures seemed to be taken on the street, by a passerby, or paparazzi photographer. It wasn't as if Edward was kissing Whitney or even touching her in any way, but that the girl was enamored with Edward was obvious.

Bella snorted, but then again, most people fell under his charismatic spell, regardless of age, race, religion or sex. Bella was used to the looks of jealously, envy and spite that she often received when she was with him.

_Especially as Edward seldom paid attention to anything or anyone else when they were out together._

That thought made Bella stumble and she slowed down to a walk as she caught her breath and wondered if she had been wrong. _How come she hadn't thought of that before?_ Edward rarely looked at anyone whenever he and Bella were together. He tended to focus on her entirely, making sure that she was comfortable, happy, and content. Checking that she ate something had a drink or whatever she wanted.

Yes, there was no doubt that Edward had 'run away' over the past few months, but then again, how forthcoming had _she_ been? Had she been open and honest with him when he had asked her how she was feeling? Or had she made excuse after excuse to find 'busy work' just like he had?

Bella sat down on a boulder on the side of the pathway as people ran, walked and jogged past her. A kind looking elderly man and his wife stopped and asked Bella if she was okay and she assured them that she was fine and she showed them that she had her cell phone.

_Was it possible that time, work and their day-to-day lives had become a great excuse to stop talking about what was going on? Had she not promised Edward all those years ago in the hospital when he had been shot that she would never let him run from her again?_

Bella knew that the blush on her cheeks was not from running but from shame.

_All these months, I've been blaming Edward, but I'm just as much to blame as he is! He ran away but so did I!_

"This stops now. I'm not running again and neither is he." She said to herself with determination.

After almost finishing the water in her bottle Bella stood up and turned towards the way that she had come and walked head first into a solid body.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so…" Bella looked up as she quickly stepped back from the firm chest beneath her hands and gasped, "Edward!"

Even with his aviator glasses and his black cap that was twisted backwards, Edward's scruffy face was exquisitely beautiful and after a split second Bella launched herself into his arms with a squeal that made her sound more like their ten year old daughters.

Edward held her tightly against his body and he shut his eyes and inhaled a deep breath in the curve of her neck.

"Hey Baby Girl," he murmured as he slowly pulled back and lowered Bella to the ground.

Edward pushed his sunglasses to the top of his head as they shared a smile.

Brown eyes stared deeply into dark green eyes and when they found all that they needed to know there, Edward brought his lips down in a heart stopping kiss.

Unmindful of the traffic on the pathway, the couple clung to each other as their kiss deepened.

Each was anxious to convey their message silently.

_I love you._

_I never stopped loving you._

_I want you._

_I will always want you._

_You are my world._

_My world revolves around you._

Passion gently turned into tenderness, until little nibbles became chaste pecks in the corner of the mouth, which morphed into a nose skimming down the curve of her cheek as Bella let out a long, happy sigh.

"Perfect." She whispered.

"Breathtaking." Edward replied.

The sound of shocked laughter broke their bubble and they stepped to one side as a younger couple jogged passed them.

"… I'm telling you, Rodney that _is_ Edward and Bella Cullen!"

"Baby, that's ridiculous! You are so obsessed with that couple that you see them in the forest…"

Bella wiped her face on her towel and flipped it over her shoulder.

It was quiet all around them and she could hear the sound of her own breathing.

Suddenly she felt shy and nervous.

"Would you take a walk with me?" Edward asked, almost shyly.

"I'd love to." Bella gushed and then she felt her cheeks get hot as she looked up at him from under her lashes.

She rolled her eyes at herself as her heart skipped a beat when Edward gently took her hand in his.

"How did you find me?" Bella asked as they took one of the less frequented paths.

"I had no doubt that you would run in the forest this morning. I'm sorry that I'm a little early but I couldn't wait to see you any longer." He said and his hand tightened in hers.

They walked in silence for a while as they swung their hands lightly. Every now and again Edward would raise their clasped hands to his mouth and he would kiss her knuckles. Bella loved the feeling of his large hand clasped around her small one. It made her feel so secure and safe.

Bella bit her lip to stop herself from grinning like an idiot but Edward noticed.

"What?"

Bella giggled – actually giggled and shook her head. "You are going to think that I'm nuts." She said.

Edward grinned, so happy to hear her light hearted laughter, "Baby, I know that you are nuts. It's one of the reasons that I love you."

Bella stopped walking so suddenly that she almost pulled Edward off his feet.

Her eyes searched his face, "I love you too Edward. You have to know that I love you." She urged. All trace of their banter from a moment before was gone. Her eyes searched his as she silently begged for his understanding.

"I know that you love me, Bella. I know that we have been at odds for a while, but I want to change that. I miss you so much."

Bella's fingers clutched Edward's hand as if she was afraid that he would disappear.

"I miss you," her gaze faltered and she bid herself to be strong, "I miss _us_."

Edward nodded. The walked silently for a moment before Edward found the old bench where he and Bella often used to sit and talk.

Bella's heart was pounding as Edward sat down and gently tugged on her hand to pull her into his lap as they always did.

The kids often laughed as they teased them about saving space. This time there was no laughter.

Bella resisted the urge to wrap herself against his body and she took her hand away with a pleading look in her eyes.

"Wait, Baby, I need – shit, I need to tell you something and y-you are going to be mad," she said quickly.

Edward wanted to tell her that he knew everything but he also knew that she needed to tell him this and so he just sat back in the seat and nodded.

"Go ahead, Sweetheart, I'm listening."

Bella took a few steps away from him as she tried to calm herself down.

_Stop it!_ She told herself silently, _just grow a pair and tell him!_

Bella took a deep breath and wiped her sweaty hands on her cotton shorts before she turned around.

"Edward, I love you so much, it hurts sometimes. I know that when I was pregnant with Max that things were not easy – I was a mess! And afterwards, well, you were there. You practically had to keep the house running by yourself. You took care of the kids as well as the baby when I couldn't and then I got sick and you just kept on being the caregiver."

Bella dashed the tears off her cheeks, "I will never be able to thank you for taking care of us, all of us. You are so protective. You are a wonderful husband and father…" Bella bit her lip as she forced herself to hold his gaze steadily.

"…but as a Dominant – my Dominant – you have done a shitty job." Her voice faltered until it was just a whisper.

Bella flinched as if she was waiting for him to spring up and attack her but after a moment of silence she dared to look at his face and what she saw shocked her.

His eyes glistened with unshed tears of sorrow and remorse as he leaned forward with his arms on his knees.

Edward's gaze didn't waver, "Go on, baby girl, and tell me everything, I'm listening."

His words and the sincerity in his eyes gave Bella the last push that she needed, and so Bella began at the beginning.

"At first, after Max and then the hysterectomy, I was scared. I was still tender and that night in the playroom, I just panicked and that's why I safe worded. It wasn't that I didn't trust you, I was just nervous. After that I was hurt when you refused to do a scene with me. You just kept making excuses and obviously I blamed myself for that."

"I didn't know." Edward muttered.

"I know that! You didn't know because you refused to talk to me. You refused to talk about our D/s lifestyle at all!" Anger flashed in her eyes.

"Then you just stopped completely and that's when we began to drift apart. I didn't have the strength to fight you. You are my Master and it's your job to guide me, to lead me, but you didn't – you just left me hanging. Yes, you were taking care of me, Edward, you always do, but it was different. It was almost as if you were afraid that I was going to break or something. You have tiptoed around me for over a year and I have allowed it."

Bella's expression softened when she saw the spark of hurt that Edward tried to hide.

"Please don't get me wrong, I love how you love me. I love the way that just holding your hand makes me safe."

Bella bit her lip, _here goes_. "But so does being your submissive. That is a part of _who I am_ Edward and I just cannot ignore that part of myself any longer."

She took a deep breath, "So, this is where you may get mad at me…"

Bella went on to tell Edward everything. How she had tried to ignore her needs until she had gone to see Paul out of desperation. She told him about her 'training' and how she had learned to satisfy her needs to a degree and how she went to Breaking Dawn every fortnight. She told him about Garrett and Kate had become her mentors and teachers and how Kate gave her the aftercare that she needed. Bella ended with her sessions with Paul that coincided with her bi-monthly visits to the club.

Edward had not said a word from the time that Bella had begun and when she was finished Bella stood wringing her hands as she hopped from one foot to the other.

Finally she couldn't stand it any longer, "Please just say something. Tell me that I've finally crossed the line, tell me that you don't want me, tell me anything, but please speak…"

Her tirade was cut off abruptly as Edward fell to his knees in front of her.

"Wha…"

"I'm so fucking sorry Bella, I'm so very sorry." Edward said as he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head against her stomach.

Bella's hands gripped Edward's shoulders. This was the very last response that she expected him to have.

"I'm such an asshole! Fuck! I just dropped you! I thought that I was being so fucking noble but the truth is I am a fucking coward Bella!" Edward began to rant.

Bella shook her head, "You're not." She protested.

Edward growled, "Yes, yes I am! I was so afraid that you…" he swallowed. He had not admitted to anyone what his greatest fears were.

Even though it was illogical because Renee was not Bella's biological mother and so her mental illness could not be passed on, Edward had feared that he was going to 'lose' Bella after her diagnosis of Pre and Post Partum Depression. Both he and Charlie had been terrified that Bella would become like Renee. They had all experienced the evil of that woman and the thought that Bella could even remotely be like her had sent them both into a panic that none of their family had been able to appease.

As Bella looked down at him, she began to understand. Part of her was pissed that he would think that she could ever be anything like that _monster_, but a greater part of her understood his fears. She understood because in the beginning she had the same fear.

Bella put her hands against his cheeks, her thumbs gently rubbed the prickly hair of his stubble, "I get scared about that as well baby, but _I am not her_. I will never be her and I want you to know something; I have been for a full psyche evaluation."

Edward's eyes widened in shock, "I would never ask you to," he began.

"I know! I know, but I needed to know. I did it for me. I am one hundred percent fine and healthy. There is no residual depression, manic or otherwise." Bella said proudly.

Bella tenderly brushed aside a strand of hair that had fallen onto his forehead and she smiled, "And apart from an unhealthy fear of creepy crawlies and snakes, I am quite 'normal'."

Edward got to his feet, "Dear God Bella! You didn't have to do that, I never expect…" Bella put her hand over his mouth.

"I know that you didn't but like I said, Edward, over the past six months I've become quite attuned to _what I want and what I need_.'

She moved to sit on the bench and Edward sat beside her as he took her hand in his.

He couldn't stand to not touch her.

"I know that sounds selfish, but sometime between Max's birth and the hysterectomy, I stopped thinking about myself or taking care of myself."

She looked down at her clasped hands; "I stopped counting me into the equation. I know that it's ridiculous, but I stopped counting myself or rating myself." Bella shook her head, "I'm not explaining this very well, am I?"

She looked up at Edward with her eyebrows delicately arched.

Edward smiled tenderly. He loved every little thing about her, "You are explaining exceedingly well, please carry on with what you were saying."

Bella nodded, "Okay, well, I intentionally put everyone else first, so that I didn't have to deal with the fuck up that I was making of my life, until one day I just couldn't do it any longer. I couldn't hide or try to 'kill off' who I am, and I had enough. It hasn't been easy, but Paul, Kate and Garrett have been a godsend, and I make a conscious decision every day to be kind to myself–that also ties into keeping my anorexia under control. I've been working out every day."

Edward couldn't stop his eyes from raking over her slim body, "I noticed."

Bella blushed and he grinned. Bella rolled her eyes at him, "Such a boy." She laughed.

Bella's smile faded, "I know that I have probably broken every single 'rule' in every Dominant manual that there is. I'm sorry Edward, but I–I need to be in this lifestyle! And I don't want to do it without you, but I will! But if," her dark brown eyes filled with tears and this time she didn't stop them.

"If, um, if you don't," Bella swallowed the lump in her throat and cleared it, "if you don't want me then you have to tell me!"

There–she had said it. Finally, every fear that she had experienced over the past four years or longer had been exposed and expressed. Bella felt pride in the fact that she had managed to open her mouth and speak up. Bella felt her shoulders sag with relief.

That was everything. Then Bella remembered the photograph and she groaned inwardly. She had to tell him about that but before she could open her mouth, Edward began to speak.

"Bella, it was never my intention to walk away from you or our lifestyle. I know that I have failed you again, but baby, I could never be a Dom to anyone else. It is only you; it has always been only you. I am so sorry for all the unnecessary pain that I have caused you and I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if you will let me."

He reached out and wiped his thumbs over the tear tracks on her cheeks with a smile, "I hate to see you cry, Baby Girl."

They came together to hold each other tightly and Edward lowered his mouth over hers with a groan.

What began as chaste and lovely soon became heated with a dueling of their tongues until they pulled away to take in gulps of air with cheesy grins plastered on their faces.

Edward's mirth faded as he brushed Bella's hair off her shoulder, "I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how you are going to take it. I know that I have no right to ask, but could you please listen to me before you take off my head?"

Bella grew pale and she licked her lips, "How bad is it?"

Edward's hands closed over her shoulders and he pressed his s forehead to hers, "Please, please, please try to understand that I didn't set out to deceive or betray your confidence…"

His heart was thudding loudly as he watched Bella take his words in and he watched as she completely misconstrued his words.

_Fuck._

Bella gasped as she tried to pull away, "What? Oh God, Is there someone else? Was that fucker telling the truth?"

Edward held her firm as she struggled, "NO! LET ME GO!" she shouted as she began to cry.

Edward managed to get both arms around her and he held her tightly to his chest, while trying to avoid her kicking feet.

"Isabella, ISABELLA! CALM. DOWN!"

Bella hadn't heard that voice in a long time and while she wanted to drop to her knees, she was beyond pissed.

"YOU DON'T GET THE RIGHT TO CALL ME THAT, YOU BASTARD! YOU LYING, CHEATING…"

She never got any further because Edward put on hand over her mouth as he pulled her against his chest even tighter.

"_I. Am. Not. Cheating!_ I have never even kissed a woman outside of a movie or publicity shot and you know that! Why the fuck would you think that I was cheating? Now, are you going to listen to me? Please!" Bella could see that Edward was telling the truth.

She wanted to bite his hand but she decided to pick her battles and so she nodded while her eyes glared daggers at him.

"When I was in L.A. I received an unmarked, plain buff envelope at the front desk of my hotel…"

Bella's face that was bright red a few seconds before turned deathly pale.

Edward felt Bella stiffen beneath his hand and he shook his head slowly, "Will you please just listen to me? Please, baby."

Bella nodded but she had a terrible sense of foreboding.

"The envelope contained two photographs–of you. One was of you leaving Breaking Dawn and the other was you in the playroom at the club."

Suddenly Bella pushed Edward's arms off her and she leap to her feet only to move a few steps away and vomit into the undergrowth.

Edward was at her side quickly and he held back her braid as she emptied her already empty stomach. When she was finished, Edward handed her his bottle of water and his towel.

Bella wiped her face and rinsed her mouth out as she stared blindly into the forest.

_He knew._

_He knew before she had told him, everything or at least part of it._

_He knew._

She wasn't sure how she felt about that.

Bella was certain that at some stage she would be angry that she had been 'tricked' into telling him when he knew but for the moment she felt intense relief.

Edward knew and he hadn't run.

Edward knew and he came looking for her.

Edward knew and all that he had expressed was sorrow, remorse and regret for his behavior.

Edward knew and he still loved her.

A thought struck her. The previous night she had felt a small electrical current on her skin in the playroom. The kind that she only got when Edward was near!

She gasped and turned to look up at him with wide anxious eyes, "You were there. Last night, you were there?"

Edward knew what she was talking about and smiled slightly, "How did you know?"

"I felt you and thought that it was just my wishful thinking."

"I felt you as well. The pull to come to you was terrible and Garrett spent a while threatening to have me thrown out if I so much as peeped at you." He said ruefully.

"You were absolutely exquisite. You looked like an exotic creature. You were perfect and I know that you are not wearing my collar, but I was so damn proud of you last night. You were the epitome of a submissive." Edward's deep velvety voice almost left her breathless.

"Thanks," she said almost dismissively when inside she was jumping up and down like a teenaged fan girl!

Edward wasn't fooled but he didn't comment, except to ask if she wanted to head back to Kate and Garrett's.

"Not yet, can we stay here and finish this?"

Edward agreed and when they were sitting down once more he continued.

"At first I thought that they were old photos, you know something that you had taken but that was before I saw the date at the bottom of the pictures. I remembered that date because you said that you had meetings to attend and then you and Kate were going out to dinner before you came home."

Bella blushed at being caught in the lie.

"I'm sorry,"

Edward shook his head, "No, Baby, you don't owe me an apology. I know why you lied and I was the one to fuck up, not you. You were doing what you could to get happy and healthy and I was too fucking wrapped up in my own self-righteous life to see any of it."

Bella could see the truth of his words in his face and she nodded.

"I'm not telling you this to embarrass or humiliate you at all, I'm just explaining, okay?"

Bella nodded, "Okay,"

"Okay. Well, I freaked the fuck out and I ended up calling Jazz in a flat spin. He basically ordered me back home but asked me not to tell you that we were meeting. We met at my hotel room yesterday morning. He asked Garrett to attend the meeting along with Emmett."

"Emmett called some reinforcements in to take the pictures to their lab but when Garrett saw the photos he told me that they were taken at his club and I almost punched his fucking lights out."

At Bella's worried look, Edward took her hand, "I didn't, even though I wanted to. I thought that I was too late. I thought that you were tired of waiting for me to get my shit together and that you had moved on and when Garrett said that, well, it was almost too much."

Bella didn't know what to say. Her mind was a jumbled mess as she began to realize that someone knew what she was doing – someone knew what she was!

"Someone knows – about me, I mean," she murmured.

Edward put a finger under her chin and gently lifted her face so that he was staring into her eyes, "Isabella, I promise that we are going to do everything in our power to protect you."

"But this isn't about me–this is about you, your career–your business! Our kids and the rest of the family will become outcasts if this gets out!"

Edward shook his head, "Bella, we spent hundreds of thousands every year on PR. We will find this fucker and we will stop this and if it does get out, our family knows. As for the kids, well four of them are almost not kids anymore and the other three will be fine."

He leaned forward and kissed her forehead, "I'm not going anywhere baby girl. Not for a very long time. This time I'm not going to fuck up again, I promise."

Bella closed her eyes as his lips moved against her skin. "I'm sorry that I've put us in jeopardy, I really fucked up."

Edward pulled away to look at her, "No you didn't! You don't have to apologize, because you have done nothing wrong. Please don't say that you are sorry for something that neither of us is ashamed of."

Bella nodded but Edward could see that she was holding something back.

"What is it, baby?"

"I, um, I got a photograph as well…"

"What?" Edward's jaw dropped in shock, "Are you serious? Of what? When?"

Bella explained about the envelope arriving the same day that he received his. She went on to retell him everything that she had done, including her meeting with Anderson.

Edward was furious.

"Bella, why are you only telling me this now? Fuck it! We need to talk to Emmett. I don't want Anderson on this–I need the best and my brother is the best there is!"

He stood up and gripped her hand, "Come on, we need to get back to Garrett and Kate's."

Bella refused to move and Edward swung around, "What?"

Bella shook her head, "This–this right here? This shit isn't going to fly any more Edward. You don't get to go off on a tirade and just expect everyone to fall in with you! Not anymore! You are my husband and you may be my Master but you are not the 'boss' of me! I'm not one of your kids and you can't just order me around like this. Damn it–we have to talk about things like this. Now let me just say that I asked Andy to keep this just between us. I wanted to see if he could find out any other information before I told you about it. I made a copy so that I could show it to you. It's basically photos of you and Whitney on the street and then another one of the two of you going into a restaurant or something. There was a message at the bottom of the picture. I have it in my purse. Now, if you have calmed down and if you are ready to behave without having a hissy fit, then we can go."

Bella put both hands on her hips as she stared Edward down. He loved the new feistiness in her, he thought as his dick twitched.

"Sorry. I wasn't thinking." He said sheepishly.

Bella nodded and she put her hand out. Edward grasped it and they walked back to Garrett and Kate. They didn't talk about what was utmost on their minds; instead, Bella updated him on the children. He listened with a smiled plastered on his handsome face as Bella relayed anecdotes from the past three weeks.

When they arrived back at the house, Kate greeted them warmly from the kitchen as she prepared breakfast for all of them.

Bella excused herself to take a shower, while Edward sat at the kitchen counter chatting to Kate as she finished up their breakfast.

"How are you two doing?" Kate asked as Edward helped her to set the plates out.

"Okay. No, actually, we are better than 'okay'. We had a good talk and I listened."

Kate looked up at her friend, "That's good, it's about time but I just need to say this and Master would give me twenty for saying it but here goes." She straightened up and stared at him, "You had better make sure that this is the last time that you leave that woman, Edward. The next time she arrives here crying because of you being a selfish ass, I'm giving Bella the number to the best fucking divorce attorney in the state and you will see your ass!"

Kate's blue eyes were ice cold as she glared at Edward across the table.

"I won't make this mistake again, Kate. I know that I've been a dick but I had my reasons…"

"Don't try and justify your behavior, either! If Garrett shut me off from being his sub, I would waste no time in kicking him to the curb, let me tell you!"

A throat clearing behind them made Kate jump.

Shit!

She was already in hot water for crashing the club the night before without telling him!

"Please don't let me interrupt you, Kate." Garrett's smooth voice even made Edward nervous.

Kate shook her head quickly before she stepped back and pulled Garrett's chair out, "Master, breakfast is ready."

Garrett raised an eyebrow, "Oh its 'Master' now? Huh, a few seconds ago I believe that I was 'Garrett'. Maybe I heard wrong."

Garrett didn't wait for an answer as he turned to Edward, "Morning E. How are you this morning?"

The men sat down while Kate stood behind Garrett's chair silently as she waited for her Master's permission to take her seat.

Edward was surprised by the feeling of longing that he felt as he watched Garrett interact with Kate as a Dom.

It had been so long since he and Bella had been this open with each other. It had been too long since he had been around others that shared their lifestyle.

Edward was even more surprised when Bella walked in to the Kitchen and she greeted Garrett first.

"Morning Sir. May I speak to your girl at the table?"

Garrett smiled, "Morning Bells, and you may, although I have a feeling that my girl had better get all of her words out now because she won't be doing a lot of talking for the rest of the weekend."

Kate whispered, "Thank you Master," before she took her seat next to Bella and the two of them fell into quiet conversation.

Garrett looked at Kate and rolled his eyes, "She never learns." He said half to himself.

Edward smiled, "She keeps you on your toes."

"Every single day!"

They chuckled.

"So, did you talk? I saw your car outside just after Bella left and I wondered if you were going to find her."

Edward sighed, "We spoke – it was good, very good. We finally opened up about everything and I told her about the photographs."

The two men stared at each other.

"Gar, there's more. Bella received a photograph as well."

"What?"

Bella looked up at the sharp tone in Garrett's voice but Edward shook his head at her slightly and she went back to talking with Kate.

"Yeah, she's got a copy. She gave the original to Anderson yesterday."

"Smart lady."

"She is a very smart woman." Edward agreed.

After breakfast Kate and Bella made coffee and Garrett led the way into the den.

Garrett sat in an arm chair while Kate sat on a cushion at his feet and Edward and Bella sat on the sofa.

"Okay, so Bella, Edward, we are not here to judge or influence either of you. Bella, I understand from Edward that you have spoken about everything?"

Bella nodded.

"That's good, but I just want to say something right now. If you decide to get back into practicing the lifestyle, I expect you, Edward to dedicate yourself to being the best Dominant for Isabella. There can be no half measures, not this time. You have had your 'free passes' and now you are on probation. I expect you to get into training immediately. Find a Dom in your area or online, but you are on probation. I understand that with a house full of children we cannot live a 24/7 lifestyle and sometimes time goes by and we get busy, but as a Dom, it is your duty to make sure that first and foremost, all of your submissive's needs are met." His face was stern as he stared unwaveringly at Edward.

Bella's face was burning as she held tightly onto Edward's hand. She knew that Garrett was the one person that Edward submitted to. Even though they were both Dominants, Garrett was the Master and Edward would forever be his apprentice.

Bella could feel how Edward's shoulders had begun to slump as Garrett tore a strip off him, "Edward, I have to say that I am shocked that you have behaved so high handedly for so long. Have you told Bella that you are taking time off?"

"What?"

Edward sighed, "Not yet, Sir. We have a lot to talk about."

Garrett narrowed his eyes at his mentee, "Clearly. Well, then I would say that that is our cue to leave this discussion for another time. I expect to hear from you in the next few days, Edward, regarding your training, understood?"

"Yes, Sir. I would just like to thank you, Sir and your girl for being here for Isabella when I obviously wasn't." Edward said quietly.

Kate smiled warmly at her friends but said nothing. She had heard the clear warning in her Master's tone earlier.

"We will always be here for you both, but you will not get another warning from me, Edward. The next time I will demand your back." The two men stared at each other until Edward nodded.

"The next time, I will gladly give it."

Garrett stood up and held out his hand and Edward clasped it tightly.

"Don't let her down again."

"I won't."

Bella turned away to wipe the wetness that lay on her cheeks. She didn't often see Edward vulnerable and to see him humble himself made her very emotional.

Edward gathered Bella's clothes bag and her overnight bag before he packed it into the boot of her Lexus LX570. That was a bright cherry red. Bella loved her SUV and it had been a 'family' Christmas gift from a grumpy Edward the previous year because it was an 'eight' seater and everyone could fit inside.

Of course, he had wanted to purchase a car that cost a quarter of a million dollars but Bella had put her foot down. She had insisted that he purchase a car that she was comfortable driving and so they reached a compromise: She got the car that she wanted but Edward had it pimped out completely with the now standard tracking, anti-hijacking, anti-terrorist devices, including satellite tracking (that was accurate to within six inches!), full bullet proofing on the body and windows and a fitted survival kit that would be good for ten days in the Alps!

The end result was the same, but Bella had received her eighty thousand dollar SUV with accessories that cost over two hundred thousand. Her Mini Cooper was her guilty pleasure, but so was the SUV and it was comfortable to drive over any distance.

Bella reached for Kate but when she drew back slightly Bella remembered that she was collared and she quickly asked Garrett for permission to hug her goodbye.

"Thank you Katy. I will talk to you on Monday–it should be safe by then right?" Bella whispered.

They shared a smile as Garrett chuckled, "Hopefully Katy will be able to talk to you by then, we will see, right girl?"

Kate's eyes lowered as she gave a nod.

"Bye Bells, we will talk soon." Garrett said as he hugged her.

Edward walked over and he said goodbye as he slipped an arm around Bella's waist.

Edward handed Bella her keys and her mouth dropped, "You aren't going to drive?"

"It's your car and I have kind of hijacked it."

"What about the rental?"

"I've made arrangements for it to be collected here."

Bella nodded as they got into the car.

"Listen Bella, I was wondering if you would like to stay in the city tonight. I haven't checked out of the W yet and perhaps it will be better to talk on neutral ground?"

Bella was touched by Edward's thoughtfulness and she was amused by his obvious nervousness. She had been thinking of proposing something similar and so she quickly agreed as they drove to Paul Banner-Jones' office.

Paul hardly consulted over weekends anymore, but he always made an exception for Edward or Bella.

He was waiting in the reception when they walked in and he smiled approvingly at their joined hands and smiling faces.

"Welcome! Well aren't you both a sight for sore eyes! Here, I was expecting to be handing out Xanax like skittles and you walk in looking like an advert for a romantic movie of the week!"

Bella grinned, "So now we finally know what your vice is Doc – Romantic made-for-TV movies!"

"I admit it totally. It is the most relaxing pastime."

The men shook hands before Paul looked from one to the other, "Okay, now Bella, your session is first. I would suggest that I talk to Bella alone and then I would like to talk to Edward and then we can sit down and talk together. That way you will both be able to talk freely and decide what you would like to say to each other. How does that sound?"

They shared a look, "I will be happy with whatever Bella decides." Edward said quietly.

Bella reddened but she spoke up, "I would like to talk to Paul first."

Paul led Bella back to his office.

"Well, Bella this is a very different turn of events. How are you feeling about having Edward outside?" he asked as soon as they were settled.

Bella didn't bother to try and cover up her joy at being reunited with Edward, as well as how happy she was that they finally had no secrets between them.

"It feels kind of surreal but really, really good!" she said with a little laugh.

Paul raised his eyebrows, "What is different about his coming home this time?"

Bella leaned forward, "He knows everything." She let out a happy sigh, "Paul, he knows everything! I didn't hold back, I told him that he has been hiding, absent and a shitty Dom and he didn't freak out at all! He knows about the club, hell he saw me at the club last night."

At Paul's shocked look Bella quickly explained about the anonymous photographs that led Edward to the club.

"Are you angry at Garrett for betraying your trust?"

Bella thought about that before she answered him, "Honestly? No I'm not. I have always understood that Garrett took a risk in doing what he did for me and I trust him. Garrett won't betray my trust and it was only when he didn't see another way out that he told Edward. Even then he didn't explain everything. He just let Edward observe and then sent him home."

"What has Edward's response been?"

"He is sorry for shutting me out. He apologized, more than once." Bella shrugged.

"Do you believe that he is sincere?"

"Yes,"

"… but?" Paul prompted.

Bella stared at him for a long time before she answered quietly, "But what if something else sets him off? What if he decides to run away from another 'situation' at home?"

Bella's eyes filled with tears, "I want to trust him, I really do, but he has hurt me…"

Paul nodded, "I think that you need to voice this fear to Edward. Would you be able to do that?"

Bella nodded.

"Okay, let's talk about last night, how did it go?"

"It was good. I felt a little odd, dressing up like you suggested, but once I was dressed, and I saw myself in the mirror, it was easier to slip into a submissive mindset."

Bella laughed, "It is really odd, but the entire evening I was visualizing my Master and it helped me to stay focused."

"Did you feel guilty?"

Bella nodded, "Yes, but not as much as I felt like a failure. I just can't get passed feeling that somehow I wasn't good enough for Mast, um, for Edward."

"How have you been during the week? Any feelings of being overwhelmed, depressed, unable to cope?"

Bella and Paul spoke for another forty minutes before Paul brought their session to a close.

They walked into the lobby and Edward put the magazine down that he had been reading and stood up.

"Is everything okay?" he asked when he saw the residue of tear tracks on Bella's cheeks.

"I'm fine. I'm going to take a walk to the bistro on the corner for a cup of coffee and then I will see you here in an hour?" Bella looked to Paul for confirmation.

He nodded and Bella breathed a sigh of relief when she walked into the bright morning sunshine. She needed a little while to herself.

She chose a quiet table under a bright umbrella outside the small café. After ordering a Latte and a slice of carrot cake, Bella pulled out her journal and began to put her thoughts down.

Writing in her journal was another way that Bella was able to keep track of her emotional 'scale'. Each day she spent some time jotting down whatever she wanted to. Her fears, hopes, dreams, aspirations were documented and even day to day occurrences like attending a parent meeting, or a conversation with one of the children. Anything that had struck a chord inside her was put down in writing.

Paul had made it clear when he had first suggested journaling that Bella didn't have to show her writing to anyone unless she wanted to.

The alarm on Bella's cell phone sounded and she quickly paid her bill and walked the half a block to the wellness center.

When she walked in, she noticed that Paul's door was still closed and she was about to sit down when the door opened and Paul stuck his head out.

"Bella, you can come on back."

Bella put a hand on her stomach to stop the butterflies that were jumping around.

She walked into the office and immediately her eyes went to Edward who stood at the floor to ceiling glass doors that looked out onto the beautiful courtyard garden.

His back was towards her but Bella could see the tension and strain in the long line of his back and shoulders.

His hands were pushed into the pockets of his jeans and his head was bowed. Every part of her ached to rush to his side and comfort him, but when she looked to Paul, he shook his head slightly and Bella sat down on the sofa.

Paul closed his office door and sat in one of the arm chairs before he spoke to Edward.

"Edward, are you ready to carry on?"

Edward's shoulders stiffened and he turned to take a seat next to Bella.

Bella's heart broke a little when she saw the dark green of his eyes and the sadness that was etched onto his face. He looked older, strained, disheartened and Bella had to force herself not to reach out to comfort him.

Once Edward had sat down, Bella couldn't help herself and she reached blindly for his hand only to find that he was reaching for her.

Their fingers intertwined and Bella stole a sideways glance only to meet Edward's eyes as he looked at her.

Edward opened his mouth but he was interrupted by Paul.

"I think that we need to go over a few ground rules for this session and any other joint sessions that we have. First of all, this is not a platform to shame, humiliate or hurt each other. This is not about getting me to take your 'side' or confirm that one person is more 'right' than the other. This is about teaching you to communicate truthfully and openly with each other. You have been married for twenty years and it isn't uncommon to slip into the 'sameness' of family life and often couples find that around this time, when children are leaving or in your case, you have had a couple of untoward occurrences, the birth of Max, your depression Bella, your hysterectomy,"

Bella felt Edward's fingers squeeze around her and she took comfort in his touch.

"In times of crisis, couples who have been married for a long time suddenly find that they have forgotten what bound them together in the first place. Little league games, proms, school meetings, work, careers have become the topics that occupy a couples bedroom conversation rather than flirting, wooing, courting. These things are all but forgotten."

Bella felt sad as she heard the truth behind Paul's words. She and Edward had forgotten how to spend time loving each other. She remembered the hours that they would steal to bathe together, which ended up with them soaking the floors as they slipped and slid back to their bed. The 'stolen' kisses and caresses had become a thing of the past.

Edward and Bella looked at each other sadly.

"Before you get ready to throw you arms up in horror, let me just say that in ninety-five percent of the time, if both parties are willing to put in some work, they are able to progress their relationship from superficial to intimate in a relatively short space of time."

"I cannot live without you and I will do whatever it takes." Edward said quietly.

Bella nodded, "I will do anything to get back to where we need to be."

Paul drew their attention back, "That's great to hear. So, let's begin. Whatever is spoken about in this room is private and sacred. I don't care what you say, there are no repercussions, is that clear?"

They both nodded.

"For the next week, there will be no sex."

"What?"

"What?"

Paul chuckled, "See? You are in agreement already!"

Neither Edward nor Bella smiled, "That's not even funny Paul! We have been apart for three weeks!" Bella hissed.

Paul grinned and rubbed his hands together, "I know and you are going to have to do without sex for the next seven days."

Edward was grumbling under his breath while Bella huffed indignantly.

"Now, I didn't say that you cannot be intimate, I just said no intercourse, because obviously you both have no issue with that side of your relationship, but I'm willing to bet that it has been a while since you have been intimate with each other, am I correct?"

After a few moments of silence and a shared look of embarrassment, they both nodded silently.

Paul nodded, "Okay, now that that is out of the way, let's move on. Today we are going begin with me asking questions and I would like both of you to have a chance to voice your opinion. There are no right or wrong answers because the questions are based on how each of you feel."

Paul moved on to the first question.

"What do you want your partner to know about your right at this minute? Bella, why don't you go first?"

Bella licked her lips, "I want Edward to know," she turned in her seat and looked at Edward, "I want you to know that I'm happy that you are here with me, but I'm scared that I will be hurt again."

"Edward?"

"Bella, I want you to know that I want to change for you, for us! I'm sorry that I put you in a 'gilded cage' for all this time. I want to show you that I can do this."

"Bella, how does it feel when you hear Edward say that to you? Do you believe him?"

Bella took a deep breath and quickly reminded herself that it wasn't the time to protect Edward's feelings.

"I want to… but what if you change your mind?"

"Edward?"

"Give me a chance to show you, please. I know that I've abused your trust, but please just give me a chance to show you that I can do this!"

They stared at each other wordlessly.

Paul leaned forward, "Edward, you need to acknowledge that Bella has a right to feel this way and Bella you need to open up to Edward just enough to let him in."

He sat back and watched as Bella took Edward's hand in both of her own.

"I have never stopped loving you or wanting you. That isn't what this is about. I just want to have a complete relationship with you again. It's like we have only been living half a life for the past few years and I don't want that anymore. I know that we can't play every day or week and of course we are going to have times when we are out of sync, but we made it work before we had Max! And I want that again and if that seems selfish then I'm sorry, but its how I feel! I know that we are past the role playing and the munches and the play parties and playrooms I'm fine with that, but I also know that there is so much more to a D/s relationship and I want to explore that with you." Bella was panting by the time that she finished her little speech. She was blushing and her hands were shaking but she felt proud of the fact that she had been able to voice her opinion.

Paul smiled at her.

"Very good, Bella. Edward, what do you want to say?"

Edward swallowed hard against the panic that he felt. Just the thought of not having Bella in his life was enough to send him into a panic attack like the one that he had earlier during his private session.

_Paul closed the door and motioned for Edward to sit down. "I'm glad that you are here Edward, but I'm sorry that it has taken you so long to acknowledge that you need help."_

_Edward's ears turned pink at the gentle rebuke._

"_Please tell me why you are here."_

"_I have fucked up my relationship with Bella and I'm not sure what to do to fix it."_

_Paul raised his eyebrows, "What prompted this?"_

"_I've known that there was a problem for a long time, and I knew that it was my problem. My fears that were pushing her away, but it was only when I got those photos of Bella that I realized just how far I have pushed her away. When I think that she could have found someone else…" he shook his head and buried his face in his hands as his breathing became labored and he had trouble breathing as he thought about Bella leaving him…_

_It felt like hours but was only minutes later that Paul urged him to put his head between his knees and to breathe slowly and calmly._

_It was a while before Edward was able to continue._

"Edward?"

Edward looked up and noticed that Paul and Bella were waiting for him to talk. He turned so that he was facing Bella.

"I am so sorry that I pushed you away baby. I just get so damn scared that something is going to happen to you. It's my fault – all of it! I know how strong you are emotionally and physically but I still see you as fragile and you are sometimes, I look at you and I think that you would break in a heartbeat and I just want to protect you!"

Edward closed his eyes briefly, "I also know that I need to change how I see you, because you are strong and capable and I respect and admire you so much. You are a wonderful wife and mother." Edward ran his hands through his wild hair, "This insecurity that I have is mine, not yours. I have done a shit job at being your Dominant and I want to change that. I know that I have to earn your trust again, but please give me the chance to do that. Just don't leave me."

Bella had begun to cry.

"I'm not going to leave you Edward! I don't know why you think that? I have never given you a reason to think that I'm going to leave you, have I?"

Edward shook his head, "No, but I've left you alone for so long…"

Bella bit back a sob, "Then don't do that anymore! Stay with me and fight for us!"

With that Edward gathered Bella into his arms as they both shed tears over the hurt that they had been feeling.

Paul stood up quietly and he left the couple alone while he went to the small kitchen and poured three cups of coffee.

It saddened him that his friends were hurting so badly but he was also pleased that they had come to him. He knew how much they loved each other and he also knew that it would only be a matter of time before their bond was stronger than ever.

When he walked back into the room, he smiled at the sight of Bella curled up on Edward's lap as they held each other.

He set the tray on the table in front of them and cleared his throat, "Okay, now let's have some tea and talk about where we go from here."

Bella blew her nose as she shifted off Edward's lap.

She smiled when he pulled her tightly against his side and her smile matched his.

They were in this together, no matter what happened.

Bella felt Edward's lips graze her ear as he uttered the words that they had whispered to each other just moments before.

"To infinity and beyond."

The words warmed both of their hearts as they listened as Paul began to outline a solution.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: Okay, so not much action, but lots going on! This is the beginning of Edward and Bella's way back. This is a slower burn than PLU, but you know that they will get back that 'lovin' feeling' and lots of it, so just hang in there, okay?**

**Once again, there will be no cheating in this story! **

**Thanks again for all of the love and support, I really appreciate it.**

_STORY REC: My awesome beta asked me to rec this story and I must say, it's well worth the read! This is the link on twcs: _ . ?sid=5219

The Broken Road That Led Me To You by Jadedtigger

_Summary:_

_Bella is thinks she is in love with Jacob but soon finds herself in an abusive relationship that spirals into years of an abusive marriage. She finally finds the courage to get herself out but still has her demons to face as she learns to start living life again. As she begins to heal and put together a new life for herself, she meets Edward, there in an instant connection between the two but can she find the courage to open herself up again? To take a risk to love?_

_This story is ultimately about redemption of one's self, finding the courage to face the past. and learning to love._

**Till next time,**

**Michele**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 5**

Edward and Bella's first joint therapy session had ended with Paul giving them homework. They were each to begin an 'open letter journal' in which he encouraged them to write their fears, aspirations or whatever they wanted the other to know. They would have to swap journals each evening and then talk in a neutral zone. Paul had also 'ordered' Edward to take Bella on no less than three dates during the week. He had to organize and execute each date, as well as organizing care for Max, who would be home two days later from his camping and fishing trip.

As they drove away, Edward was quiet. So much had happened.

He remembered the photographs that someone had delivered to them and he tensed. Who was messing with them and why?

"Bella, can I see the photo that you received?" he asked.

Bella nodded, "It's in my purse in the side pocket."

She heard Edward gasp as he looked at the images of himself with Whitney Pryer. He remembered the night that they had taken a short break from recording and he had accompanied her outside as they had been stuck inside the recording studio for almost eight hours.

Her suggestion of a short walk in the cool Venice beach air was a good idea and they had finished the recording session a short while later.

"Bella, she means nothing to me. This, this was not what it looks like, I swear to you – I never touched her!" The words tumbled from his mouth as he began to sweat.

_What if she believed this lie? What if she hated him? What..._

"EDWARD!"

He jumped at Bella's shout.

Bella had pulled the SUV over to the shoulder of the road when she noticed that Edward's hands were shaking.

She stared at him with wild eyes and she unbuckled her seatbelt and reached over to grab his face none too gently and she jerked it around so that she was looking into his eyes.

"_Stop. It_." Bella hissed fiercely. Her eyes softened when she saw the sheen of perspiration on his forehead and above his top lip. She knew the symptoms of a panic attack only too well, having suffered with them most of her life. "Edward, please baby, stop over thinking this! I know, okay? I know that you haven't touched anyone, even though of course I get insecure at times, but I know, Edward. We are going to be fine, do you hear me? You just have to stay strong, baby. Don't let them get the better of us, that's what you said to me, remember? Well, it's time you begin to listen to yourself." Bella's voice was rough with anger and outrage; no one was going to come between them.

A look of cold anger flashed in Bella's eyes, "They, whoever 'they' are, do not have any clue as to the clusterfuck that they are about to heap on their heads! They are trying to hurt us, but they have no idea what we are capable of, but only if we stand together."

Edward's eyes grew wider at the almost ice-cold calm in Bella's voice.

"I think that I'm a little afraid of you right now, Love."

Suddenly Bella's face changed and she looked about twenty as she grinned at him impishly, "I think that I scare myself sometimes! Cool, huh?"

Edward stared down at the photograph again, before he ripped it to shreds and dropped it into the trash bag. He looked up and took her hand, "Very cool, baby, very cool indeed." He said as he pressed his lips to her knuckles and he felt his heart fall even more in love with his wife.

Bella suggested that they take a drive along the coast and a couple of hours later they stopped at a small diner and ate a filling lunch of cheeseburgers and French fries with huge milkshakes to round off the meal as they made easy conversation. They were each wearing sunglasses and of course Edward had his baseball cap on to try and hide his signature bronze hair, but Bella knew that someone would recognize him and snap his picture, but she didn't care as she held his hand across the plastic table top.

Over lunch Edward told Bella about his conversation with Jasper and how he had decided to take time off to be with his family.

"Can I ask you something?"

Edward nodded, "Of course"

"Did you make this decision because Jasper basically forced it on you?"

Edward didn't answer Bella's question straight away. While his first instinct was to be indignantly defensive, he knew that the question was valid in light of his past behavior.

He looked up and noticed that they had drawn a bit of attention to themselves from a group of teenagers in a corner of the diner and he frowned, "Do you want to take a walk on the beach?" he asked quietly. Bella looked over her shoulder at the girls who were ogling Edward like he was something to eat. It never ceased to amaze her that women from the age of puberty to old age found her husband desirable.

"Yeah, let's get out of here before the social network makes things uncomfortable."

They drove about a half an hour out of the seaside town until they found a small semi deserted beach and they took their shoes off and walked on the shore holding hands.

"Okay, back to your question. Do you want an honest answer?"

Bella nodded, "Of course."

Edward stopped walking and turned so that he was facing Bella. He pulled off his sunglasses, "I knew that it was time to put things right. I've been feeling so guilty for the past few months because I realized that I was just burying my head in the proverbial sand and I knew that I was driving a wedge between us, so when Jasper confronted me, it was a relief."

Bella wasn't convinced. "Really? But what do you mean that you are taking time off? How much time? Who's going to produce and record all the artists that are lined up to work with you? What about filming? You were reading a few scripts last month do you want to do that?" Bella only realized when she began to talk just how many questions she had. She couldn't seem to stop the words from flying out of her mouth.

They began walking as Bella talked and Edward was silent as he listened carefully to what she was saying.

When she had finished Edward moved to a set of sand dunes at the end of the beach and he sat down and patted the ground next to him.

Bella sat down stiffly as she hugged her knees and stared out at the waves.

"We can't go back Edward." She said quietly.

"I don't want to." He agreed.

Bella laid her cheek on her knees as she turned to look at him, "I'm selfish enough to want as much of your time as possible."

Edward smiled and brushed his hand across her cheek. She looked so young like this with no makeup on. Only the fine lines around her eyes and the small curve around her mouth showed that she had spent many years smiling.

"Good," he said softly. Bella's eyebrows shot up to her hairline.

"Really?"

His smiled Bella's beloved crooked grin as he nodded, "Yeah, really. I'm taking six months off completely. I don't have any contracts to work on right now, and at the end of those six months I may begin to work from home, but there will be no travelling without you and the kids." Edward had given this a lot thought after he had spoken to Jasper and after a telephone call, they had finalized their plans.

Bella's eyes had grown wide with surprise and excitement that Edward could see she was trying to suppress but Bella was a terrible poker player.

"Six months? You are taking six months off?" she couldn't stop the giddy grin from spreading until a thought struck her, "But Edward we can't travel with you. Sam is a senior and the twins have school and Max is going to kindergarten this year, so it's impossible…" she said quietly.

Edward sat up, "Hey, I didn't say that I will be travelling, B. I said that _if_ I have to travel, I wouldn't go unless you and the children go as well. That means that any travelling has to be done during school breaks. Jasper and I will take turns as well. He needs to be a little more exposed to the outside music scene. End of story! Jazz has already begun to look for another two producers and a sound engineer to fill in for us."

Bella bit her lip as she stared at her husband. She and Edward may have done a shitty job of communicating but Bella and Edward had spent years studying each other's non-verbal body language and she could see straight away that he was telling the truth and that he had made the decision. She allowed herself a small smile.

"Sooo," she drew out the word playfully as she nibbled on her lip, "what are you going to do at home for six months, Skippy?" Edward grinned at the old nickname.

But as he looked at her, Bella watched as his smile faded and the look of intensity that darkened his bright green eyes to almost black sent a shiver down her spine.

"I'm going to win you back, Isabella." Edward's voice was deep and dark and Bella almost gasped as she heard his 'Dom' voice for the first time in ages. Her heart stuttered as she bit her lip hard.

Edward didn't look away and Bella couldn't. They stared at each other for what seemed like eons, until Edward's face suddenly changed again and he smiled easily as he brushed his hand on his cargo pants and slipped his sunglasses on once more.

"Are you ready to head back to the hotel?"

Bella nodded and she held his hand as they walked back to the car in silence. She couldn't get the look that he had given her out of her head.

What she had seen there had shaken her to the core and she wasn't sure if she should be excited or afraid.

Edward had been worried that their stay would be awkward, but it was surprisingly pleasant. Edward had asked Bella out on their first 'date' as he had placed her bag in the second bedroom in his suite. They had spent the next couple of hours apart, with Bella having a sleep while Edward sat in his bedroom making phone calls.

He had called his father and had explained what was going on, because he knew that Jasper would not betray his confidence.

Emmett had already arranged for additional security at Lake Tahoe seeing as all of their children were there and Jasper and Carlisle assured him that they would tighten security until they found out who had taken the photographs.

At seven thirty exactly Edward had knocked on the bedroom door.

Bella opened it before he had time to put his hand down.

They stared at each other and Bella blushed at the appreciation in Edward's eyes.

"Hi" she said breathlessly.

"Hi, you look beautiful." He rambled. Bella looked gorgeous in a deceptively plain looking cocktail dress that fitted her like a second skin. Edward's eyes widened when he saw that she was once again wearing the insanely high black shoes that she had worn the night before and he felt his jeans grow tighter.

"You're not so bad yourself," Bella said as she blatantly checked him out in his black jeans and black button down shirt. Her eyes rested unashamedly on the bulge in his jeans and she licked her lips.

Bella giggled and Edward felt his ears turn pink.

"Are you ready for dinner, Miss Swan?" he said as he stuck out his elbow.

Bella put her hand in the crook of his arm, "I am, Mr. Cullen, thank you for inviting me out tonight." She said as she looked up at him from beneath her lashes. She was pleased when she saw his eyes darken with desire.

"I promise you Miss Swan the pleasure will be all yours before the night is over."

Edward broke character as Bella tripped over her own feet and he had to catch her from falling on her ass as he barked out a laugh.

"Ass!" Bella mumbled as his hand skimmed the small of her back, causing her to shiver.

"And a very fine one it is too!" Edward quipped. He felt lighter than he had in months.

Edward had organized for a small dining room table to be set outside on the balcony that overlooked the city.

He held out Bella's chair before he nodded to the waiter who stepped forward and offered them each a glass of champagne.

Bella smiled when she saw the familiar silver bottle, "_Armand de Brignac_?"

"Only the best for you." Edward said and Bella knew that she was going to spend most of the night blushing, as she was right at that moment.

They spoke in hushed tones as they shared Pacific Oysters before they devoured Scallops and all through dinner, Edward teased and flirted with Bella and she loved it. He wasn't forward or overly sexual but by the end of the delicious four course meal, he reached forward and took her small hand in his and she felt her nipples harden even more as his soft lips kissed her the soft skin on the inside of her wrist.

"I love you Isabella." Edward whispered as he bent his head love over her wrist and pressed tiny kisses over the skin as goose bumps broke out up her arm.

"Hmm, I love you, always." Bella murmured as her eyes rolled back in her head.

Edward had always been like a drug to her and his touch was her kryptonite.

The waiter had long since been dismissed and the suite was dark except for the smattering of electronic candles dotted around the balcony and the main room.

"Let's take this somewhere more comfortable…" Edward coaxed and Bella almost upended her chair in her haste to find somewhere to lie down and surrender to her handsome devil's touch… but –

"Edward, Paul said…" she began.

Edward walked behind her with one hand cupping her elbow while the other was spread across her stomach.

His breath tickled her ear and neck as he spoke, "Oh baby, we aren't going to do anything that we shouldn't. I just want to love on you a little, hmmm? Would you like that baby girl?"

"Yes! God, yes, please!" Bella answered as the wire that had been holding her together snapped and she spun around and fisted Edward's hair in her hands as she pulled his head down and claimed his lips.

Bella swallowed his groan with her lips as her tongue darted out to meet his.

"Fuck, baby… you are killing me here."

Bella smiled gleefully as Edward turned and collapsed onto the sofa and pulled her with him so that when he landed on his back, Bella fell on top of him, with her centre nestled between his powerful thighs and her breasts pressing into his chest.

Bella's eyes met Edward's stormy gaze and this time there was no coy looks or teasing touches.

Edward noticed that Bella's eyes were pitch black and the wild slashes of high color on her cheeks showed her arousal.

"You look so beautiful when you are so aroused."

"Please don't tease me again. I need you."

Edward nodded and he rolled her gently to one side and got to his feet. Although he was no spring chicken, thankfully Bella only weight about one ten so he was able to pick her up and carry her into the second bedroom.

Edward lowered her to her feet and his hands lightly rested on her hips.

"Let me love you tonight, Isabella. Let me show you how much I adore you." His voice was husky with emotion.

Bella rubbed her thighs together as she nodded, "Please Edward, it's been so long…"

"Sh baby girl, I'm here. Just relax and let me take care of you."

Bella turned her back and pulled her hair over her shoulder wordlessly offering him the opportunity to unzip the dress with the flirty skirt.

Bella shivered as his fingertips trailed over her skin. A flick of his wrist and then he drew her bra and dress down her arms until they lay at her feet.

Edward's hands feathered down her flawless skin, following the curve of her spine. The see-through black panties teased his aching cock and Edward swallowed hard as he forced himself to think only of her pleasure.

He was always amazed that such a beautiful woman could love him and that thought was even more startling in light of his actions.

Edward swallowed and he prayed that he would not lose control. He needed to show Bella just how deep his love ran for her.

He lay on his side next to where she was spread out and with the very tip of his finger he traced Bella's body from the side of her face, down her cheek, over her jaw and along her slim neck. His finger dipped into the hollow at the base of her throat and his tongue licked the spot.

"I remember sipping wine, tequila and champagne from this delectable little receptacle at one time or another. Do you remember baby?" His deep voice rumbled and Bella hummed, unable to form a cohesive thought at all.

"Hmm"

"What love?" He chuckled darkly.

Bella let out a soft whimper, "More, Edward, I need more."

His lips skimmed down her chest until he nuzzled against her hard nipple and then his tongue flicked out. Edward's moan of satisfaction at the sweet taste of her rosy bud paled against Bella's loud moan of pleasure as she felt the wonderful tug from her nipple to her almost dripping center.

"More!" Bella demanded as her hand pulled at Edward's hair. He complied as he plucked and twisted her aching nipples as he moved lower. His nose nuzzled against the black scrap of material and Bella twisted to find friction. She moved her hand from Edward's shoulders and pushed her panties down her hips as she panted with need.

Edward smiled against her skin at her impatient actions. Edward had always encouraged Bella to be confident to ask for what she needed in the bedroom but she had seldom shown aggression or confidence to take what she needed but it seemed as if this 'new' Bella was unafraid to tell him what she wanted from him and he loved it.

Edward took her panties off the rest of the way before he knelt at her feet and removed her shoes. Bella giggled when she felt his lips tickled her toes.

Edward felt a warm feeling spread across his chest at the sound and he realized how long it had been since he had heard Bella laugh as if she meant it and he vowed to himself to make sure that his wife laughed at least once a day from now on.

Meanwhile Bella was lost in a world of sensations. The feeling of Edward's mouth against her skin was enough to make her burn with need, but the slight rasp of his five o'clock shadow almost sent her over the edge. She loved the slight discomfort that it left behind, making her skin more sensitive. As Edward's mouth and fingers travelled up her legs, Bella tried to find some friction where she needed it most, but her legs had flopped open so that he could kneel between them. In her impatience Bella moved her own fingers to her breasts and she plucked at the needy peaks, pinching them with just the right amount of pressure to elicit a throaty whine.

Edward sat back for a moment as his fingers trailed up her inner thighs to a point that just fell short of her glistening pussy lips, to just admire the breathtaking picture that she made as she writhed with her growing desire.

"Isabella, look at me," he said and Bella opened her eyes.

"Touch yourself for me, baby." He urged and Bella couldn't deny the masterful intensity in his voice or in his eyes as a hand snaked down her stomach and she used just one finger to swipe through her slick folds. With a teasing glint in her eyes, Bella used that same finger to gently tease her clit out of its hood before she brought her finger to her mouth and licked it.

"Fuck," Edward muttered. Bella smiled at the look of undisguised lust on his face.

"Would you like a taste?" Bella didn't wait for an answer. Instead she used one hand to open her puffy lower lips and the other to swipe through the slickness.

Edward felt a growl begin deep in his chest as he almost dove forward onto her offered hand. The taste of Bella's arousal was the sweetest thing and it was something that Edward had always found extremely arousing.

Her taste, her smell, the feel of her silky soft skin all drew him into a web of arousal from which there was no escape.

Edwards hands reached the apex of her thighs and his fingers gently covered her own but instead of moving them out the way, Edward encouraged Bella to once again dip inside her head, this time his fingers ghosted over hers, creating a new friction and pressure as their joined fingers pumped into her waiting pussy.

"Fuck!" Bella exclaimed as her one finger was joined by two of his thicker digits. The friction caused by his knuckles was enough to make her cry out as her climaxed inched closer.

"I need to taste your delicious pussy. May I suck you off, baby?"

Bella grunted out a sharp 'yes!' and Edward didn't waste any time as he lowered his mouth to where her ruby red clit stood out, begging for his mouth.

As his lips closed around the nubbin, Bella arched her back once more. Edward flicked the little bean before he bit down gently and wiggled it with his tongue.

The feeling of his mouth against her, their joined fingers sawing inside her and her one hand twisting her nipples was suddenly too much and Bella let out a string of curses as she let herself go.

Edward felt the gush of liquid and he quickly withdrew their hands as he covered her entrance with his mouth open wide to receive the sweet saltiness of her cum.

He knew that her clit would be too sensitive and so he kept away but continued to suck at her pulsating hole. He used his tongue to dip inside her every now and again as his hands found purchase on her breasts once more.

Bella felt her arousal rise again and she was too greedy to protest as Edward used his hands, fingers and mouth to bring her to another mind-blowing orgasm. She was aware that Edward had left her side for a few minutes but before she could move, he was back and seconds later a delicious scent of herbs and spices filled the air as Edward warmed up some massage oil between his hands.

As Bella came down from her high, Edward gently began to massage her muscles, beginning at her legs and moving onto her arms and shoulders. He rolled her over and began to massage her back, stopping every now and again to gently work a knot or stiff muscle. His fingers grew tender as he brushed over a few residual marks from the night before.

He was regretful for the fact that Bella had to resort to self loving and self discipline but at the same time he realized that she had grown more confident in herself.

As he finished massaging her feet his hands began to stroke her legs, thighs, hips and back as he crouched over her.

Bella hadn't moved in ages and he wondered if she had fallen asleep, he was loath to wake her, but he knew that she needed to wash the residual oil from her skin.

"Bella? Baby are you awake?" he whispered at her ear.

"Hmmm, just barely. Man, I've missed your massages. Magic fingers." She said thickly and chuckled.

Edward leaned down and kissed her cheek sweetly, "I'll go and turn the shower on and put some towels out for you."

As he got off the bed Bella turned to watch him walk across the room. She realized that probably for the first time in years, she had not been concerned about making sure that Edward got his own release.

He had never been a selfish lover or Dom, but Bella had always felt guilty if he didn't get off when she did, but this time, she found that she didn't feel guilty at all. She felt loved and wanted.

It felt good and she let out a contented sigh.

Edward walked over to the bed and gently touched her shoulder, "Shower's running love. Are you going to be okay?"

Bella opened her eyes and sat up. She pushed her hair over her shoulder and stood up as Edward walked to the bedroom door.

"Wait," she said with a frown, "where are you going?"

Edward was doing his best to ignore the fact that he was about two seconds away from jazzing in his jeans.

"Um, I was going to shower and change into sleep pants." He said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Bella shook her head, "Shower with me." She said.

Edward's face looked pained, "Bella… I don't think that's a good idea. I'm so fucking horny and turned on for you that I should stay away from you…" he began. _She wasn't going to make this easy on him,_ he thought.

Bella was across the room, unmindful of the fact that she was naked as she gripped the front of his shirt and glared at him, "Don't do that! Don't tell me what is good for me! Don't think that you know what I need! Ask _me_, Damnit! I _know_ what I want and what is 'best' for me, Edward and right now I want you near me. Paul said no sex and you have just spent almost two hours giving me great pleasure. Well I want to share that with you. You know that I get the greatest pleasure from pleasuring you."

Edward stared down at her conflicted. He so wanted to bury himself in her, but on the other hand he wasn't sure that he could be near her without acting on his urge.

"Please, I need you." Bella said as her hand flattened against his chest.

"Okay, but if I lose control…" he said as he began to unbutton his shirt.

Bella grinned as her fingers found his belt buckle and it clinked loudly in the quiet room.

"Yeah but what a way to go!"

Edward laughed at the way that Bella wiggled her eyebrows and the tension was broken somewhat as he undressed completely and they made their way to the shower.

Bella was delighted to discover the built in bench in the large waterfall shower and she pushed Edward onto it unceremoniously as she poured liquid soap onto a sponge and she began to wash his body. Edward didn't protest when she sank to her knees to take his rock hard cock in her mouth.

He knew that he wasn't going to last long and minutes later he was squirting his cum down her throat as she swallowed greedily.

He lifted her under her arms and pulled her forward so that she was straddling his lap as he kissed her passionately.

Each could taste the other as their mouths opened and they groaned in unison until Edward had to move Bella off his lap to prevent him from shifting to lower her onto his arousal.

They washed up quickly and dried themselves off before they stood in the bedroom once again.

Edward's eyes moved to the bed and back to Bella, "Um, do, um, do you want to sleep in here? Alone, I mean." He stuttered awkwardly.

Bella found it far more enduring than if he had assumed that they would sleep together and she knew what she wanted, no what she needed.

She shook her head as her fingers removed her towel and she turned to slip an old T-shirt of Edward's over her head. She held out her hand to him, "I don't want to sleep apart from you any more. We have been separated for too long and that has to end tonight."

Edward stared into her large luminous brown eyes and he felt a tugging deep inside him.

"Promise me, Edward, promise me that we won't be apart again. I don't care what anyone says, I need to be with you." Bella's words echoed in the room as her eyes filled with tears.

"Oh Baby, please don't cry! I promise you right now that nothing will keep us apart." He leaned down and kissed her wet eyelids.

"Let's go to bed." He said quickly as he pulled Bella to his side.

They flipped off the lights in the suite before he pulled the covers back on the massive king sized bed in the main bedroom. Bella smiled as she sank down and watched Edward drop his own towel before he reached for a pair of boxers instead of sleep pants. He also needed to be close to her and he turned out the light after he climbed in behind her.

Bella's heart beat hard as Edward wrapped his arm around her small waist and he pulled her so that she was almost lying on top of him.

They both let out a sigh of pure contentment as their bodies adjusted to being molded together once again.

Bella rested her head on his chest, and as the sound of the steady, strong beat of his heart filled her ears, she smiled.

_Home._

Edward pressed his mouth to the top of her head, "I love you."

"I love you," she sighed.

*ΩafloΩ*

The game room in the main house was filled with warm, half naked bodies. Loud music was belting out of the built in speakers that were dotted throughout the Joshua looked around as he took a quick head count of his siblings and cousins.

In the time that they had been at Lake Tahoe, the teenagers had quickly rekindled many friendships as well as made lots of new friends, judging by the number of faces that he didn't recognize.

Being the oldest Cullen child, and being Emmett's son, being the 'protector' came naturally to him. Joshua had grown up watching how his father, uncles and grandfathers protected and cared for the women and the younger people in their family and even in their circle of friends.

He was used to being held to a higher standard than his friends because that was how his father and his uncle had grown up.

A beautiful blonde girl sashayed her way over to where he was standing at the wet bar, "Hey Joshie!" she cooed and Joshua cringed.

He hated being called 'Joshie'. Joshua rolled his cornflower blue eyes and gave her what his family lovingly called his 'bitch face'.

"Joshua." He snapped.

The simpering blonde didn't seem to understand that he was pissed and she giggled, "No, silly, I'm Tassels, you know because of my big um, tassels?" she giggled again and jiggled her silicone tits as Joshua wondered who had invited this airhead to his house?

Just then a short, beautifully built brunette walked over to his side and he almost sagged with relief, "Hey Baby doll," he said as his well muscled arms wrapped around her bikini clad frame.

The beautiful young woman suppressed a giggle as she nestled against Josh and she pressed a loud kiss to his shoulder, "Hey lover boy, where did you get to? I was waiting upstairs for you." She pouted prettily as she battered her long eyelashes.

Joshua dropped a kiss to her forehead, "Sorry darling, I was just chatting to um, I'm sorry I missed your name?"

The blonde flipped her long, blonde extensions over her shoulders as she glared at Alexis, "What? Just for-get it! I'm gotta here!" She turned around on her six inch spiked heels and marched across the room.

"You are a life saver, Cuz." Joshua said as he hugged Alexis.

"You owe me big time, J!" Lexi laughed as she playfully pushed him to one side.

Over the years she and Tiffany Anne had become experts at assisting their cousins to sidestep any unwanted attention. Joshua obviously got the most attention because of his acting career but his younger brother Jared ran a close second ever since he had done a couple of photo shoots for a popular brand of jeans.

Alexis and Tiffany were not blind nor were they naive and both girls had been burned when it came to friendships, which had been struck up just to receive an invitation to one of their family members or into their homes.

Now Joshua nodded to where Jared and Nicholas were playing pool while a bevy of girls stood giggling nearby, "Where the hell did these 'cone head's' come from?" he whispered.

Alexis laughed as she nudged his hard stomach with her elbow, "You can blame your younger brother! It was just going to be the usual gang, but then he got on his phone and next thing, Mister George phoned me from the front gate and said that there were about twenty 'young ladies' here to see Jared."

Joshua shook his head, "Pops and Uncle Jazz are going to go nuts. They are going to be on the phone with Dad in seconds and then I'm going to be in shit! He never learns! Hey! Jared, come here a sec!" he called across the room.

The lower floor of the main house of the Lake Tahoe compound was almost six thousand square foot of entertainment. There was an indoor swimming pool, a Jacuzzi, both of which were fashioned after a tropical natural springs, with waterfalls and tropical plants. There was a home theatre that could seat forty people, along with popcorn, slushy and soda machines. There was a games room filled with video games of every sort, a ten pin bowling alley and a basketball court.

After the first grandchildren had been born, the uncles had insisted on having a toddlers and children's play area installed, with ballpen, and several kiddies games, like 'go fish', indoor swings and a climbing frame. The last room was an indoor entertainment area with a full catering kitchen, a wet bar and there was a dance floor complete with stage and lighting.

When Bella had first seen the 'basement games room' she had been part horrified and part enthralled. It was the epitome of a luxury adult's playground. The men in the family turned into little boys whenever they came to the house, including Charlie and Carlisle.

Jared made his way over to where Joshua and Alexis stood, "What up bro?"

Joshua shook his head, "You are an idiot! Why did you invite all of these strangers here? Uncle E, Jazz and dad will have a fit about the breach in security and these chicks are all airheads!"

Jared grinned, "I know, isn't it cool? Not a brain cell between them!" he wiggled his eyebrows and looked uncannily like Emmett.

Alexis wasn't impressed by his caviler attitude and the dirty look that she shot him told him so.

Her mouth thinned into a hard line as she glared up at him, "Jared, you had better get rid of these people before… shit!" her eyes widened as she looked behind them to see a furious Jasper standing near the staircase.

The sound was shut off and a deep voice ripped through the room, "What is the meaning of this?" Carlisle's voice rang out.

Carlisle Cullen was an impressive man for someone his age. If the truth was told, he was impressive for a man half his age and more than a few of the young women in the room looked at him with appreciation.

His blonde/grey hair was thick and his piercing blue eyes still made plenty of women weak in their knees, but at the moment, he was frightening as his laser sharp eyes sought out and found his grandchildren.

"Cullen's, Whitlock's, front and center – the rest of you – the party is over. Our security will make sure that you leave the premises. Jasper?"

Jasper stepped forward as he pushed his phone into the back pocket of his jeans. Within a few minutes, there were four burly plain clothes security, all waiting as the twenty or so young people scrambled to collect their belongings before they were ushered from the room.

The silence in the room was defining as Carlisle stared at his seven oldest grandchildren. Joshua and Jared were taller than their grandfather but both seemed to shrink under his glacial gaze.

"You have five minutes to get yourselves decent and upstairs to the dining room for a family meeting!" Carlisle barked out and without waiting or expecting a rebuttal he spun around and marched up the stairs.

Jasper glared at his children, who had the grace to avoid his angry gaze before he looked at his nephews and niece. "What the fuck were you thinking? I get it, you weren't, not the heads on your shoulders in any case but still!"

Once he left, Joshua glanced at his watch, "Three minutes and we had better not be late." He muttered as he walked over and pulled his T-shirt over his bare chest.

Tiffany and Lexi quickly ran to dress in their shorts and T-shirts while Nicholas, Edward, Jared and Christopher pulled their shirts on and they walked into the dining room with seconds to spare.

Alice, Jasper and Esme were all sitting at one end of the first table that seated twenty people. There were two matching tables in the room so that the entire family could sit down to a meal if they wanted to.

"Sit down!" Carlisle ground out as they all shuffled into the room.

Jasper had been informed two days before that because Bella had received a photograph as well; the families' security details were to be tightened up with immediate effect. Emmett had immediately dispatched four men to the lake compound and Edward and Bella were to have two men with them at all times.

The grounds of the ranch were put on high alert and a second team of four men had been sent to patrol the parameter of the ranch twenty-four hours a day for the foreseeable future.

Jasper had told everyone the day before that there was a security concern and he cautioned the teenagers not to bring strangers onto the property without permission.

They had disobeyed him and Carlisle was pissed.

"I hope that you like your own company, because as of now you are all grounded for the next two weeks and no one will be leaving the compound and you will leave your phones on the table when you leave. The games room is off limits unless one or two of us are with you and no friends will be coming until they have been vetted and cleared. Is that understood?" Carlisle's voice was cold and firm.

Carlisle loved his grandchildren as much, if not more than he loved his own children but sixteen grandkids were a damn handful and he had already placed a call to Emmett and Charlie calling for reinforcements! He knew that Edward and Bella would need some time alone, and he loath to interrupt them, but he also wanted his family together where there was safety in numbers.

Esme sat silently next to Carlisle, with one hand on his thigh to calm him down. He had been seething with anger when he had shouted for her and Alice when he had arrived home only to find about eight strange cars parked in the driveway.

Esme and Alice had just arrived from shopping for the weekend and although they had seen the cars, they had not thought about Jasper's warning the day before.

"Shit Mom!" Alice hissed as Carlisle stormed into the kitchen and glared at his wife and daughter.

"There are at least thirty-five, half naked teenagers in our basement, did you know that?" Carlisle asked gruffly as he stood in the doorway.

Esme knew better than to say anything and so she just shook her head. Although both she and Alice thought that the men were overreacting, they also knew that they would not change their minds.

Carlisle closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose before he took a deep breath and reminded himself that losing his temper was not going to fix anything.

When he opened them again he looked at Esme, "Es, this is serious, Darling. We don't want to freak the kids out too much but I didn't recognize two thirds of the people down there…"

"All these rules…" Esme complained as Carlisle put an arm around her shoulders and led her into the dining room just as they heard the thunder of feet on the stairs.

Carlisle rolled his eyes, "We can discuss 'rules' later."

Esme giggled but cut it short when Carlisle gave her a warning look and she knew that she had to put her 'game face' on.

Joshua looked across the table at his grandfather and uncle. He could see that they were serious about the 'situation', and he respected that. As a member of a wealthy, well known family and having acquired some fame for himself, he knew that there were security risks and that the public could not always be trusted but no one had really explain just what the security breach was.

"Pops, I'm sorry if we overstepped, but we are all adults here so why can't you tell us what exactly we are 'closing ranks' against?" he asked as he coolly met Carlisle's heated look.

"I agree with Josh, Pops, I mean if we are going to be kept prisoner here then you have to let us have something!" Alexis snapped.

Jasper almost smiled. Although she looked like Bella, their personalities were so different. Whereas Bella seldom initiated confrontation, Alexis thrived on it.

Carlisle sat back as he raised his eyebrows at his granddaughter, "You think that we have to tell you something? Isn't the fact that we have told you that someone breached security at the ranch to send Bella some questionable material enough Alexis?"

Jared, the budding lawyer sat forward, "Illegal photos? I mean, explicit?" he noticed that Jackson, Alexis and Nicholas all looked decidedly uncomfortable at the thought.

Jasper noticed as well, but he also noticed that both Nicholas and Jackson looked slightly nervous as well. He wondered if his suspicions about them were correct and he made a mental note to talk to them one-on-one as soon as possible.

Jasper answered Jared's question, "The nature of the photos are not important, what is important is that it was an invasion of privacy and we don't know who the person is or why they are sending the pictures. Both Bella and Edward were sent photographs and we are taking this seriously, so once again, we do not want any strangers to get close and remember that all of the houses have cameras and they will be monitoring in all the common areas as well as outside."

He watched Tiffany and Alexis exchanged looks and he pursed his lips, "Don't think of sneaking out of here either."

Tiffany glared at her father, "That is ridiculous, Dad! We are all over eighteen and you are treating us like we are 'minis'! It's not fair! Lexi and I have dates tomorrow night and I am going!" she stood up and pushed her chair backwards as she flounced out the room.

Alexis looked at Jasper and then Carlisle, "Tiff is right. We understand about taking precautions but grounding us is nuts, Pops and I'd rather go home than to spend my vacation being told when I may go out. None of us are stupid but you all need to trust us."

With their heads nodding in agreement, the others stood up and they followed Alexis to the bedroom that she was currently sharing with Tiffany on the third floor.

Alice waited until she was sure that the kids were out of hearing before she spoke, "I think that you are both being a little heavy handed. They aren't children anymore, they are young adults for heaven's sake and while I can appreciate the need to 'close ranks', it is unreasonable to expect them to sit around here for the next few weeks while everyone on the lake are having parties and having fun! We have to trust that they will take every precaution until we find out who is sending this stuff."

Jasper was about to argue when Esme cut in, "Alice is right, Carlisle and I am not here to baby sit a bunch of adults, much less a bunch of belligerent young adults so you and Jasper need to do whatever you need to but fix this! Now!" With that she got up and walked back into the kitchen.

Alice looked from Jasper to Carlisle once more, "They are all good kids and you both know it. We have raised them to have sensible heads and now we need to trust them, including Tiffany Ann and Christopher." She said as she gave Jasper a pointed look of warning.

Jasper was not happy that Tiffany and Alexis had secured dates just hours after arriving but he knew the two boys that were brothers who had asked them out and he had reluctantly agreed to let them go to a party on the West shore, even though neither girl had asked his permission and they had left it up to Alice to inform him.

Carlisle sighed and looked at his son in law, "I suppose that we were a little heavy handed." He conceded and Jasper nodded.

"Okay, let's get this over with. Never let it be said that grand parenting is any easier than being a parent." Carlisle muttered as Jasper patted him on the back.

The two men made their way upstairs where they could hear loud music blaring and raised voices in the girl's bedroom.

Carlisle knocked loudly and wasn't surprised when Tiffany Anne flung the door open and glared at them. He sighed internally because she was more like her mother than anyone else and he didn't envy Jasper's role with two high maintenance women in his home.

"May we come in?" Carlisle asked politely.

Tiffany wanted to slam the door in his face but she loved her Papa C or Pops as they sometimes called him and she knew that he only acted out of concern for their safety.

She nodded shortly and crossed her arms over her chest as she motioned for them to enter.

Everyone stopped talking when they walked in and Jasper could feel the hostility in the room.

Carlisle smiled at the rebellious looks on the faces, "Look guys, Nana and Ali have pointed out that we got a little carried away earlier on,"

Christopher snorted, "A little?"

Jasper leveled a warning look at his son, "Zip it!"

Christopher looked at his grandfather, "Sorry, Papa C."

Carlisle nodded, "It's okay, I know what it's like to have the 'old folks' put a damper on things. We know that you are all trustworthy and we know that we are all here to 'cut loose' and have some fun, and so with that being said, you are not under 'house arrest' as Joshua so eloquently put it and you are allowed to go out and have fun."

Everyone started talking over each other in excitement until Jasper put his fingers to his lips and let out a piercing whistle.

"That being said, I would like to ask you to all be vigilant. Please be wary of strangers being too friendly, trying to get too close or asking too many questions. Stick together if you can, because there is safety in numbers, even if you 'buddy up' in twos or threes. Keep your cell phones with you at all times and for heaven's sake make sure that someone knows where you are at all times."

Carlisle looked from one beautiful face to the next as his eyes shone with love and concern, "I know that you are all over the age of consent but please remember that there are people out there who will try and take advantage of your kindness and love so err on the side of caution."

The young people looked at each other and they all stood up and made their way over to Carlisle and Jasper.

"I'm sorry Papa C; I invited most of those people today. I wasn't thinking." Jared said and Carlisle gave him a quick hug.

"It's okay Son, just think first okay? Especially if we aren't here."

Jared nodded and he quickly kissed his grandfather's cheek.

It warmed Jasper's heart each time he saw the younger generation being to affectionate with the members of the family, because of his own upbringing and the lack of physical affection, Jasper had been surprised at how he craved physical touch, especially once his and Alice's children came along.

Even at the age of twenty, Tiffany Ann would climb onto his lap and smother him with kisses although he doubted if she felt like loving him after them all but barring her form her date.

"Daddy?" Jasper looked down to see his daughter staring up at him. She looked like her mother, except for her blue eyes, which were an exact replica of his own.

"Yes, Angel?"

Tiffany moved into her father's arms and hugged him, "I'm sorry that I lost my temper and mouthed off to you."

Jasper hugged her closely, "I think that you should apologize to someone else." He said as he pulled back and motioned towards Carlisle.

"I know, but Pops needs to lighten up a little."

Jasper nodded, "I know and give him a break okay? He worries."

Tiffany patted Jasper's cheek affectionately, "He worries too much; you both do! Do you think that the boys are going to let us go out with Alain and Armand by ourselves?" she rolled her eyes, "Please, Dad, we will have five very large and capable bodyguards. Plus, Lexi and I don't kiss on first dates." She said cheekily as she walked over to Carlisle and Jasper bit back a grin at how she battered her eyelashes at him and Jasper knew that his father in law was a goner.

Instead he turned his attention to where Jackson and Nicholas were sitting on a window seat having a hushed but heated discussion and he wondered if this was the time to talk to his two nephews to find out if the rumors that he had heard were true.

_Jasper and Alice were still active in the 'munch' scene, although they only attended a couple of parties or munches each year; he kept in touch with the local Dom Dmitri Conti and his wife Jane that hosted most of the parties. Dmitri and Jane also hosted sexual awareness classes for couples within the lifestyle. Two weeks before Jasper and Alice had gone to dinner at the Conti's restaurant at their boutique hotel, the Villagio Inn._

_After dinner Dmitri had asked Jasper to accompany him to his study for a sniffer of brandy. Once there, Dmitri stared into his drink for a moment before he looked up at Jasper, "Listen Jasper, I know that your brother in law, Edward and his wife were or are in the lifestyle, but this is not about them, but about their two sons, Jack and Nicholas?"_

_Jasper sat forward, "What about them?"_

_Dmitri held out a hand, "Calm down, I have heard from a couple of sources that they may be dominants and I was wondering if you know who is mentoring them?"_

"_What? Where did you hear this?" _

"_We held a novice class the other day and a young lady was talking about her experiences and she mentioned that her first boyfriend and she experimented with various aspects of the lifestyle. She mentioned that his younger brother was also following that path and that they were two local boys."_

_Jasper frowned, "But she didn't confirm their names?"_

_Dmitri shook his head, "She did mention that his father was an actor/songwriter and that his name Edward…"_

"_Fucking hell…" Jasper murmured as his mind raced._

_As a child, Jackson had often displayed a lot of traits that showed his amazing control and his need to control and quite frankly, Jasper wasn't surprise at this information but the fact that Nicholas had 'followed' in his brothers footsteps was surprising but not shocking, given the fact that both brothers were more reserved and mature for their ages, although Jackson had always been more responsible than his younger brother, while Nicholas was more gregarious and charming with the fairer sex, but he also had a serious side to him._

Jasper shook his head slightly to clear it and he walked over to his nephews and he noticed that Jackson's eyes grew marginally wider as he saw his uncle walking towards them.

"Jackson, are you up for a run?" he asked.

Back at the ranch all of the boys would often work out together, but usually it was only Jackson that enjoyed running as much as Edward and Jasper.

"Sure Uncle Jazz, what time were you thinking of going?"

Jasper looked at his watch, "How about thirty minutes from now? That way we will be back in time for you to get ready for where ever you are going tonight."

Jackson grinned at his uncle, "Sure, I'll take it easy on you."

Jasper laughed and mock punched his nephew, "Cheeky little shit!"

Jackson and Nicholas made their way up to the 'dorm room' in the attic where the older guys usually slept. It ran almost the full size of the house and was essentially two enormous bedrooms, a private sitting/rec room and two bathrooms. Each bedroom had three double sized bunk beds and the bathrooms were equipped with four basins, showers and a double sized bathtub.

This was the guys 'den' and early on in their adolescence they had 'banned' the girls from using one of the bedrooms, claiming that they needed all of the space.

Once in a while, one of them would move out to get some space, but usually when they were all together, the guys loved to share the large space that was a 'man cave Mecca'.

Nick sat on Jackson's bed as he stripped and put on running shorts and shoes.

"Do you think that Jazz is onto us?"

Jackson turned with an impatient sigh, "I don't know, Nick, but there is only one way to find out." He pulled a T-shirt on and looked at his brother, sprawled across the bed. The two young men were as different as night and day at first glance, with Jackson favoring Edward with his hair coloring and eyes the exact shade of green as his father's, whereas Nicholas had dark, rich chocolate hair like their mother's but his eyes were piercing blue. Both were tall, a few inches over six foot and both were built like Edward, lithe and lean although they enjoyed working out and playing sports to keep in shape.

Nick smiled up at his older brother, "If it gets a little weird, give me a call."

Jack nodded, "Are we still going to the keg bust over the road?"

"Yeah, I'm heading into town with Jared. Steven is arriving this afternoon."

Jackson smiled, "Great! It'll be good to see him again, it's been too long."

Steven, Garret and Kate's oldest child, was Nicholas' best friend, apart from his cousin Christopher and the three friends had been thrilled when they had all been accepted to go to Stanford in the fall. Nicholas was going to be studying for his MBA in business, while Christopher was pre-med, which thrilled Carlisle. Steven was going to be studying English, in order to become a teacher. He wanted to teach English at college level.

The boys were going to be living in the dorms for the first year, but thereafter, they had already made plans to buy a house or an apartment together.

Jackson strapped his iPod to his arm and pushed the ear buds into his ears. "I'll come and find you later."

Nicholas stood up and walked to the window to watch his older brother jog down the front steps and walk towards the water. Jackson stretched and did a few quick exercises to warm and before Nick saw him turn as Jasper walked towards him. Jasper reached out and put one hand on Jackson's shoulder affectionately.

The two men spoke for a few seconds before they turned and began to jog along the path that ran parallel to the shoreline.

A movement caught his attention out the corner of his eye and he frowned as he saw one of the security team putting something away before he gazed around quickly. Something made Nicholas draw back from the window just as the man looked up at the house.

When Nick checked again the man was gone.

Nick frowned at the man's odd behavior. What _had he been doing behind the bushes? Something was bothering him, but he couldn't quite work out what it was? Was the man a part of the security team?_ His face had seemed so familiar that he had just assumed so.

Just as he was trying to work out the puzzle, Christopher walked into the room, "Yo! Are you ready to go and pick up Steve from the airport? We are going to have to hustle to get there before his flight gets in."

Nicholas shook the niggling thoughts away as he followed his cousin out the door.

*ΩafloΩ*

Across the lake a young woman nervously paced. She stared out across the vast expanse of water and nearly jumped out of her skin when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Well, are you in?"

"Not exactly. The grandfather came home and ended the party early, but I'm sure that I will get a return invite soon!"

The voice at the other end of the phone growl and the girl almost dropped it from fright.

"Please! I can do this! I want to do this, please just give me another chance."

There was a deep sigh, "Fine, but you had better place those bugs by the end of the weekend or else you will regret it!"

"I-I promise! Thank you!"

"The entire tribe is counting on you, girl. Don't let us down."

The line went dead and the girl threw her phone onto the small bed. She had so many people counting on her.

Those evil Cullen's had to be stopped at all costs. They had destroyed her parents, her life, and the lives of her new friends as well. THEY HAD TO PAY.

The girl began to giggle as she thought of how she was going to bring them to their knees.


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 6**

The rest of the weekend was like a honeymoon for Edward and Bella. They shut out the rest of the world, only taking time to text Carlisle and Jasper, before they spent two days filled with gentle touches, kisses and flirtatious looks and tickles. Not having sex just heightened their arousal until Bella complained that she had run out of clean panties.

Bella felt as if she was twenty-three again. Although her attraction to Edward had not died, over the years and especially over the past two years, she had stopped really looking at him. But now, every time he was close, her heart would race and she would feel that delicious tingle just under her skin as his body called to hers.

Edward had spent the past few days in a state of constant arousal. He woke up as hard as when he went to sleep and the night before he had woken up to the feeling of his warm cum squirting over Bella's back and his stomach, as he dreamed of her naked and spread eagle, with her glistening little pussy just beckoning to him to claim her.

Rather than be embarrassed, he smirked as he went in search of a wash-cloth. Bella had only been half awake as he wiped the sticky liquid off her bare back, where her tank top had ridden up and her tiny boy shorts had slipped down.

"Hmm, whatcha doing?" Bella mumbled.

Edward chuckled, "Just had a dream, Baby, go back to sleep."

"Hmmkay… love you…"

Edward lay on his back and put one arm behind his head.

Bella immediately turned around and curled herself around him, with one hand resting over his chest and one leg thrown across his hips.

Edward felt his dick jump as Bella's soft inner thigh brushed across it.

He felt as if he was in his late teens, not his mid forties! He was worse than his teenage sons with the way that he walked around with a constant boner.

Twenty minutes later, Edward was ready to scream. Bella had been particularly vocal and she had begun to hump him.

At that moment, Bella mumbled in her sleep, catching Edward's attention.

"…please… Master, stop teasing me, please!"

Edward bit back a groan as Bella began to rub her cotton covered pussy against his hard hip bone.

"Oh, oh yes, Master… oh that's… hmm, more! Harder! Green…. so… green… ah…aaaahhh, yes!"

Edward put his hand over her grinding ass and he ground her against his body, giving her relief as he felt his cock begin to weep as the movement rubbed against him.

Suddenly her legs began to shake and then her entire body tensed up before Edward felt her panties get wet and tiny shivers overtook her.

Seconds later, Bella hummed before she pressed her lips to Edward's chest and she sighed with satisfaction, "Master…" she mumbled before she sagged against him as sleep claimed her once more.

Edward felt a film of perspiration on his forehead as his heart raced.

That was one of the most erotic experiences in his recent memory and Edward knew that he would not be getting any sleep before he took care of his 'problem' again.

After he took a quick shower, Edward sat in the sitting room and turned on his laptop.

He returned a few emails to his publicist in connection with a few upcoming events that he was supposed to attend before he wrote a long email to Aro.

Anderson had sent an IT specialist to scan both his and Bella's phones and laptops just in case they too had been tampered with, but lucky they were both still secure. He knew that Anderson, Emmett, Brian and the rest of their team were working furiously to try to work out who was behind the photos.

Edward and Bella had sat down and made a list of everyone who had the opportunity, motive and resources to destroy them.

It was a long list and one by one, names were crossed off the list as background checks and investigations into each person turned up nothing. Andy had urged Edward to think of everyone that he could because the team had a hunch that Edward was the target and not Bella.

It was common knowledge that Edward adored his wife and children and that the easiest way to upset or hurt him would be to go after one of them.

Edward didn't go into detail with Aro, but he did tell him that he was pulling back from a public social life for the foreseeable future.

He knew that Aro would understand and approve because the man that had become like a second father to both him and Bella over the past twenty years and had taken him to task for his heavy work schedule in recent years.

As Edward was about to shut his laptop down, he noticed the date.

It was the fifth day of June.

Suddenly a thought began to form in Edward's mind. It was crazy, because there was no way that he would be able to pull it off, but the thought just would not go away and he quickly pulled up a blank word document and began to jot down his ideas.

_Could he pull it off?_

He wasn't even sure if Bella would go for it or if it was too soon or she would freak out but the more he thought about it, the more excited he became.

He stared out at the black sky as he grinned – it was a brilliant idea but he knew his limits and he knew that he needed help – and he just knew whom to rope in to help him.

An hour later, Edward crawled into bed after having sent off a few emails, just as the sun was peeping up over the buildings. He gathered Bella close and pressed a kiss to her forehead and she grumbled and snuggled close to his side.

He smiled as he closed his eyes as visions of Bella danced in his head.

*ΩafloΩ*

Emmett and Rosalie invited them for dinner the night before Charlie and Sue were to bring Max home from his fishing trip and Bella thought that it would be a great opportunity to spend some adult time together without the fear of being overheard or interrupted.

When they got home to the ranch, Edward was pleased that Evie and Bart had gone away for a few days and he carried Bella across the threshold as she squealed and clung to him.

"You are going to drop me! Edward!" She said as he pretended to drop her, only to clutch her tightly against him.

He chuckled, "Relax baby girl, I've got you."

Bella peeked up at him from under her lashes, "Yeah but you are getting too old to carry me." She said before she gasped and bit her bottom lip.

Edward stopped walking half way up the stairs and mock glared at her, "Too old? _Too old?_ Why Isabella, that sounds like a challenge…"

He raised his eyebrows as Bella blushed, her mind only too ready to go to thoughts of Edward taking her roughly – for a long time.

His eyes narrowed as they caught the overly bright sparkle in her eyes and he knew that she was thinking about.

"What's going on in your mind, Isabella, hmm?"

Bella shook her head and buried it against his neck.

Edward flexed his arms and walked up to the second floor. Although Bella weighed next to nothing and he was still extremely fit, he was still a little out of breath when he finally dropped her onto their bed.

Bella giggled as he flopped down next to her with an exaggerated sigh, "What have you been eating?" he teased.

Bella grabbed her flat stomach as she let out a peal of laughter, "Just because you are getting soft, doesn't mean that I'm to blame, Sparky!"

With a growl Edward was over her in a minute, snarling as he blew raspberries on her neck as Bella writhed beneath him.

Bella was still too thin but she had the body of a twenty year old and Edward loved touching her. He made a mental note to have a discussion with her soon about her dietary habits. It was time for him to take those reigns back again.

The feeling of his hard body pressing onto hers left Bella wet and panting.

Edward brushed her long hair out of her face as he smiled down at her.

"You look happy." He said quietly.

Bella nodded, "I'm happier than I've been in months, thanks to you."

The smile dropped from Edward's face as he lay down next to her again.

Bella rolled onto her side, "What's the matter?"

Edward's eyes were full of regret, "Don't you mean 'in spite of me?' I'm the one that almost fucked this up." He said.

Bella shook her head, "Look, Babe, we have been married for almost twenty years. Everyone has a set back at some stage – ours just happened to come now. In a way, we should be thankful to whoever sent those pictures to us, because it has brought us closer together. You were not the only one to screw up here, Babe; I played my part as well. I know my limits and I knew that I was withdrawing as well and hiding behind the kids instead of talking to you, so we are both to blame."

She reached out and brushed his crazy hair off his forehead tenderly, "I love you so much, Edward. We have both made mistakes in the past, and now we need to learn from them and move forward. You need to let this go, baby."

Edward captured her hand and he brought it to his lips, "I'll try, I promise."

Bella leaned forward so that her lips were almost touching his, "That's all I ask, Darling." She murmured before her lips touched his.

Bella moaned as Edward deepened the kiss and just like that she was wet and needy again. She couldn't count how many times this wonderful man had given her pleasure as he brought her to orgasm time and again. Of course, Bella returned the favor but instead of slowing down their overworked libidos, it seemed that with each touch, no matter how innocent, the flames roared to life again.

Edward heard Bella's needy whimper and he smiled as he pulled away from her slightly.

"I want to take my time with you this time." He said and Bella's swollen lips parted as she gasped.

"Please… fuck, Edward, I can' get enough of you."

When they were once again sated, they lay in bed and talked before they fell asleep tangled in each other's arms.

Hours later they showered together again and Bella slipped on a pretty sundress while Edward put on a pair of cargo shorts and a light cotton button down shirt and they drove to Cullen Crest.

As they turned into the gates Bella couldn't help the feeling of 'coming home' that she experienced every time she arrived at the old homestead.

Emmett and Rosalie had taken over the main house after Carlisle and Esme had built and moved into their new cottage, although Bella still laughed at the term 'cottage' when they spoke of their two thousand square foot double story stone 'cottage'.

Bella looked over to Edward to see him smiling as he pulled up to the front door.

"I love coming home." He said quietly.

Bella nodded, "I know. Do you regret that we didn't take this place over from your parents?"

At first, Emmett had refused to move and he had suggested that Edward and Bella consider moving into the mansion. Edward had finally spoken Emmett into taking over the main house as he became more of a silent partner in the security business and more involved in the winery.

Edward opened his door just as Emmett, Rosalie and their family dog, a golden retriever called, Spike spilled out onto the porch.

"Hey Bro!" Emmett called and Edward snorted as Emmett jumped off the porch and pulled Edward into a bear hug before pulling Bella into his arms and swinging her around.

"Belly! I've missed you!"

Bella pushed against his shoulders and kicked her feet, "Emmett! Put me down! I'm getting vertigo, Damnit!"

Emmett just laughed and he spun her around again. He only stopped when Rosalie reached his side.

"Emmett! Put her down!"

Emmett put Bella back onto the ground so quickly that she swayed for a minute and Edward quickly put an arm around her waist.

"You ass! Edward, glad you could finally make it home – not!" Rosalie leveled Edward with a narrow eyed glare before she smiled and put an arm around Bella's shoulders, "Hey Sis, come on inside. I've made the most delicious Sangria that you have ever tasted with the peaches from the orchard."

Edward frowned as he looked after the women before he looked up at his brother, "So Rose is really pissed at me." He said.

Emmett indicated that they should take a walk and they quickly fell into step.

Emmett shrugged, guilt written all over his face, "It's my fault, I was going over the photographs the other night in my office and Rosie saw them, she freaked out until I had explained everything to her but yeah, she's still pretty pissed at you for avoiding Bella in the first place."

Edward nodded, "It's no less than I deserve, Em. Have you had any more news?

Emmett shook his head in frustration, "Not a single freaking word! We have nothing! There was a partial thumb print on the envelope that Bella received and we have checked every fucking data base in the country but it hasn't shown up!"

They walked around the pathway that led to the rose garden and the gazebo that held a very special place in Bella's heart.

Edward looked up at Emmett's harsh words.

"It's only been a few days, Em, something will come up."

Emmett nodded shortly, "I'm worried, Edward. For someone to be able to break into the server at Breaking Dawn takes guts and skill. This wasn't some random overzealous paparazzo that got a little too close. This was deliberate. They only took footage from that playroom during the times that Bella was there."

"How do you know this?"

"Garrett keeps a meticulous record and checking when the piggyback hacker was plugged in was easy once the guys knew what to look for."

The two brothers stopped and stared at each other, "Someone is too close for comfort, little brother and I don't like it one bit. I've sent extra teams down to Tahoe to keep an eye on things, but Dad and Jazz can't keep the kids under house arrest. They have an escort when they go out and obviously the grounds are being monitored and anyone that comes into the property is checked out, but we can only do so much."

Edward nodded, "You are doing everything that you can, Bro and we are grateful."

Emmett huffed, "Yeah, but it's not enough! We need to catch this fucker and shut him down!" Emmett pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration.

Edward put a hand on his shoulder, "I know that you will get them, Em."

Emmett shook his shoulders and arms out to relax. His expression was solemn, "I don't like this, Edward. This isn't like before with James and Black; we have so much more to lose. Our kids are spread out all over the place and they are going to be even more vulnerable when the older ones leave for school. And then there are the minis." He closed his eyes tightly, "Jesus, when I think of Becky, and the girls, I just want to lock them up and home school them."

Edward nodded as a knot gripped his stomach, "I know, but we can't do that, Em. It's not as if this person or persons have approached us or threatened us. This could just be some random stalking crazy fucking fan that is a bit of a computer geek who happened to see Bella at the club. Maybe they were following her." The thought alone made his blood run cold.

"We are waiting for the report on the sweep of all the homes and the compound." Emmett took a deep breath, "Come on, you feel like a game of pool and a beer before dinner?"

"That beer sounds good, but I can't believe that you want me to kick your ass at pool again? I think that you are more of a masochist than I suspected!"

His comment was enough to lighten the somber mood as Emmett growled and chased him across the lawn and around to the games room at the back of the house.

Bella laughed as she and Rosalie watched the two men race across the garden and disappear around the side of the house.

"I swear, they are worse than Max when they get together! I wonder what Edward said to make Emmett chase him." Bella said as she turned back to her task of chopping vegetables.

"Probably something about his age or mentality," Rose chuckled and she moved to the pantry to pull out a long roasting dish.

She began to layer the sliced up potatoes and onions in the dish before she sprinkled the handful of fresh herbs that she had picked from her kitchen garden earlier.

Emmett and Edward would put pieces of chicken on the barbeque later, which would be served with Rosalie's famous potatoes and onion bake, a large green salad, and a platter of fresh fruit salad to finish the meal off.

"So, Emmett came home completely freaked out after his meeting with Edward last week. He immediately did an electronic sweep of the house, checked all the locks on the windows and doors and I saw him polishing his gun later." Rosalie said casually.

Bella wasn't fooled by her sister in law's casual tone. Rosalie seldom skirted around a subject, instead she preferred to face things head on.

When Bella didn't comment, Rosalie put the finishing touches to the potato dish by pouring thick cream over her dish before she put it into the over.

After she had washed and dried her hands she turned and leaned against the counter as she stared at Bella.

"What's going on with you and Assward?"

"What makes you think that it's got something to do with us?"

Rosalie snorted, "God, you are a terrible liar, little sister. Emmett received a cryptic phone call at the ass crack of dawn from Jasper last week, and all I heard was that 'mister movie star had fucked up again' before he locked himself in his office for two hours. Then he told me some cock and bull story about having a 'meeting' in the city the next morning and when he came home he became all territorial. He demanded to know where the boys were; he upset Rebecca because he refused to allow her to go to her friend for a play date. I had to phone the kids mother and invite the child here after I lied and said that I wasn't feeling well enough to drive! So, now, I will ask again: what is going on?"

Bella put the knife that she had been using down and she sat down at the large kitchen table. As she ran her fingers over the worn wooden surface, she thought of the many years that their families had blended together at this very table. Through courtship and marriages, pregnancies and so many babies, toddlerhood and some of them onto the awkward teenage years and now they were moving into adulthood and still they would gather at some time around this table that had been in the Cullen family for more than one hundred years.

Bella felt Rosalie sit down on one side as she pushed a fresh glass of peach sangria filled with ice, peach slices and a sprig of mint in front of her.

Bella sighed and she looked up at one of the women that she loved like a sister.

"I think that we were in serious trouble Rose. We still have stuff to sort out." Bella said quietly.

For the next while Bella poured her heart out to her friend. She told her everything, including her depression, anxiety about her marriage and their D/s relationship and on to the photographs and the hacking of the security system at the club.

Rosalie and Emmett had never been into BDSM, although for most of their relationship, they had practiced a domestic discipline lifestyle that worked for them. Rosalie was exceptionally strong willed and when she and Emmett had become involved, they constantly would argue and try to gain the upper hand, until one day Emmett had spanked Rosalie.

What was surprising was the fact that immediately afterwards, Rose had calmed down and apologized to him. Emmett did extensive research on domestic discipline and over the years it had formed an integral part of their relationship.

Rose could understand how 'lost' Bella had felt when she and Edward's relationship had broken down in the playroom. At the same time, she had always understood Edward's need to 'protect' Bella and his desire to 'wrap her up in cotton wool'.

Bella had always respected Rosalie's opinion because she would never blindly take one person's side in an argument, but she would rather weigh up both sides and then make her decision and so now Bella sat quietly as she waited for Rosalie to say something.

"So, from what you have told me there are two issues here. One is that you and Eddie are going to put an effort to go back to the 'kink' and the second is that someone, knows that you are a sub, or at least they know that you are kinky and that you have been to the club. They also know that Eddie hasn't been around much and that he has been working with the Shania Twain knock-off."

Bella laughed at Rosalie's comment. It wasn't any secret that Rose loved Shania Twain and she described any country rock female artist that had come after her as a 'knock off'.

Rosalie glanced at her with a scowl, "What?"

Bella just shook her head, "I would have thought that you would have gotten over your 'fan crush' by now."

Rosalie narrowed her eyes in warning, "Piss off! Just because you never got to have Jared Leto at your birthday party, don't hate on me!"

Bella laughed out loud as Edward and Emmett made their way into the kitchen.

Edward's heart swelled as he listened to Bella laugh with such carefree gusto.

"What's tickled your fancy?" Emmett teased right behind him.

Rose stood up and shrugged, "It doesn't take much to tickle her fancy these days, or so it seems," she said as she looked Edward up and down.

Edward grinned unrepentantly as his arm shot out and he pulled Rosalie into a hug as he peppered her face with sloppy kisses while trying to avoid her fists.

"Ow! Ow! Ow! Shit Rosie! That's my fucking arm!" he grunted as he hopped away from her.

Rosalie glared at him, "Well, what were you manhandling me for, Horny Toad?"

Bella giggled as she watched the tips of Edward's ears turn pink at the old nickname that she and Emmett had given to him.

"Shut up!"

Bella took one look at the delectable pout on his lips and she found herself putting her hands one his cheeks as she stood on tip toes to reach him, "Aaaw poor baby. Rosie was nasty to my Sparky." She cooed as she kissed his chin and his lips.

She felt his mouth curve upwards as his hands gripped her hips and he rocked her against his hard body, "Nah, I just wanted to cop a feel from you and needed an excuse!"

Bella pulled back and stared up into his sparkling green eyes, "You never need an excuse to feel me up, Babe." She said huskily and pressed her hips harder against his.

"Okay! Thank you 'Grabby McGrabster' for making me blind! Now let's get this on the grill!" Emmett said loudly as he closed the fridge door.

"Hey, babe? Why aren't we having good ol' fashioned steak? I'm a man and I need my red meat." Emmett said as he beat his chest with one hand.

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Because my little caveman," she said as she poked his washboard flat stomach with a manicured finger, "you need to watch your cholesterol and you blood pressure!"

Emmett rubbed his abdomen, "No I don't! Doc says I'm fine!"

Rosalie put her hands on her hips and it was at that moment that their sons would have advised Emmett to run away as quickly as possible, but Emmett seldom listened to reason.

"Emmett McCarthy Cullen; are you second guessing me? Whispering to your father while he is asleep in the hammock after a huge dinner is NOT," Bella and Edward stepped back as Rosalie stalked towards her husband, is _NOT_ getting medical advice!" in a lightening flash movement she had his ear twisted between her steel grip, "is it?"

"Aw fuck Rosie, Ow, Ow, Rose… okay! OKAY! I'LL GET A DAMN CHECK UP!" he screeched like a baby almost on his knees while Edward cackled like an old witch and Bella gaped at her sister and brother in law.

Rosalie leaned forward and kissed him, "Good boy, you have an appointment with a cardiologist next week. Now get the chicken on babe." She said as she picked up her glass of her homemade brew and took a sip.

Emmett didn't waste any time high tailing it out to the back deck, with Edward giggling behind him.

Bella shook her head, "You are a complete lunatic, Rosalie!"

Rose grinned at her, "I know but he'll get his own back later and that is going to be such fun, and besides, Becky and I are the only girls in this house with four overgrown four year olds! We have to know how to defend ourselves."

Bella shook her head to get the graphic images out of her head, "I don't want to know!"

They shared a grin and Rosalie winked at her as they quickly finished the preparations for dinner.

Once they were done, the women sat on the back deck as Emmett and Edward cooked the chicken.

It was such a beautiful summer evening that they sat outside and ate.

Bella sighed contentedly as she sat back, "Wow, I can't believe that I ate so much!" she groaned.

Rosalie snorted, "Oh please Bella! You look skinnier than you ever did! Your body is so damn hot, that I would do you!"

Emmett and Edward's eyebrows shot up, "Now that's something that I would pay good money to see!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes but ignored his comment, "Seriously Bella, you are in better shape than you were in your thirties or even your twenties. Your tits are perfect, you can bounce a quarter off your ass and your stomach is flat as a board – what more do you want?"

Bella's face was red as she shrugged self-consciously.

Emmett nodded enthusiastically, "She's right Bells, you are looking really good." He wiggled his eyebrows and then looked at Rose, "Seriously Babe, can I watch if you hook up with Belly here?"

Edward's hand shot out and connected with the back of Emmett's head so quickly that they almost missed it.

"What the fuck, bro?" Emmett grumbled as he rubbed the back of his head and glared at Edward.

Edward glared right back, "That is what I want to know! What the fuck, Bro? That is my wife that you are talking about – both of you! Just keep Bella's ass, er, her body and assets out of this conversation!"

Bella tried to hold back her giggle but she couldn't and soon all four of them were laughing aloud.

Edward shook his head, "Emmett, I hope that you are setting a good example for your boys."

Emmett nodded, "I think I'm a great example, right babe?" he commented as he slid his hand up Rosalie's thigh.

Edward cleared his throat, "Get a room, you two. Now, what are we going to do with no kids to look after?"

Emmett grinned, "Who wants to play, 'I have never ever…'"

The other three groaned in protest because Emmett always won drinking games.

"How about a movie?" Rosalie suggested.

After watching a new thriller, the two couples sat in the sitting room, chatting about inconsequential topics before Rosalie brought up the one topic that they had not discussed.

"Look, I know that you may not like to think about this, but have you thought about what will happen if that photograph of Bella is released to the media?"

Emmett shook his head, but Rosalie was not about to brush her question away, "Em, it is something that we need to think about."

Bella sat forward, "I haven't seen it yet. Do you have a copy?"

Edward put a hand on her arm, "Bella…" he began, but she interrupted him.

"Edward, we need to face this together."

Edward looked over at Emmett and gave him a small nod.

Emmett sighed and stood up, "I'll go and get the folder in my study."

Emmett brought the folder back and they gathered around the dining room table as he spread out the two photos of Bella, the photograph of Edward and photocopies of the envelopes. Already there was a fairly thick binder of notes that had been amassed by various team members.

After a few minutes of silence, Rosalie pointed at the photograph of Bella on her knees, "I know that this may seem like a stupid question, but how do you know that this is Bella?" she asked as she tapped the picture.

Edward frowned, "I know what Bella looks like, Rose," he began impatiently.

"You do, but does anyone else? Look here, she is kneeling with her back to the camera. There are no distinguishing marks at all on her back or ass. Edward, this could be anyone. All you can see is that it is a naked woman with long dark hair." Rosalie said.

Emmett, Bella and Edward stared at the picture for a few minutes before Bella smiled, "She's right! Oh my God, Babe, she is right! Look! There is nothing about this picture that says that it's me!"

Emmett looked from her to Edward, "Is it you, Bells?"

Bella nodded, "Yes, but all that we have here are two pictures that could have been taken anywhere! One is obviously me," she pointed to the picture of her face, "but the other one could be anyone!"

Emmett picked up the photograph and stared at it for a long time before he looked at Edward, "There is nothing to show that this is Bella, to anyone other than the two of you."

Edward nodded, and he felt relief flood his body, "So what does that mean, exactly?"

Emmett pursed his lips as he stared at the three photographs once more.

"Whoever sent these didn't do so to blackmail you – this is personal. This is about causing a rift between the two of you. This person, or people, wants to destroy your marriage." He said quietly.

Bella felt a chill run down her spine at his words.

"We won't let them, baby." Edward said as his arm tightened around her shoulders.

Bella hoped that he was right.

*ΩafloΩ*

Jasper walked up just as Jackson was beginning to stretch for their run, "Hey,"

Jackson turned and smiled at him, "Hey, did you bring your extra oxygen?"

Jasper grinned, "Listen here pup; you are still going to see my ass!"

Jack laughed, "Sure old man, you keep telling yourself that!" He picked up his water bottle and waved towards the path that ran along the shore.

"Ready?"

They ran at an easy pace as the conversation between them flowed easily. It was only when they stopped to take a break that there was an awkward silence between them.

Jackson stared at his uncle as Jasper sat on a fallen log and sipped his water. Jasper was relaxed as he stared out across Lake Tahoe.

"Uncle Jasper?"

Jasper looked up, "Yeah Jack?"

Jackson sat down across from him, "What's this about? There is something on your mind so just come out and say whatever it is."

Jasper smiled, "You are so much like your old man, it's scary sometimes. But yes, there is something on my mind and I think that there is something on yours as well?"

Jackson gave him a curt nod.

"I had an interesting conversation with an old friend of mine the other day – you may know of him? His name's Dmitri Conti?"

Jasper watched as Jackson's face became pale and he wiped away a bead of sweat that had nothing to do with their run.

Jackson swallowed hard but he met his uncle's gaze steadily, "I know who he is. How does he know me?"

"There was a young woman in a novice class and she mentioned that she had experimented with her first boyfriend and that he and his brother were interested in the lifestyle. She didn't mention you by name, but she said that his father was an actor and that they are local boys…" he didn't have to say anymore as heat flooded Jackson's face before he rubbed his hands over it with a groan.

"Aw man, Becky!"

Jasper's eyebrows shot up, "Becky Kimble?" She had often hung around with Tiffany when they were both home from school.

Jackson nodded but didn't elaborate.

Jasper waited for a few minutes before he spoke again.

"Jackson?"

"Yeah?"

"I take it that no one else knows about your – _interest_?"

Jack sat up and looked at Jasper, "No, you are the first person besides Nick that I've spoken to."

"And Nicholas is also interested?"

Jackson nodded, "He seems to be, although I'm not sure how serious he is."

"Have either of you had any training, gone to any meetings or clubs?"

"No, not yet. I told him that we should wait and then either speak to you or um, Uncle Garrett"

Jasper relaxed a little bit. At least they hadn't gone to one of the many 'private parties' that were held where they could be misinformed or worse, taken advantage of.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, son."

"A-are you a Dom?" Jackson's voice was hesitant but Jasper admired him for his courage.

He looked at Jack with a steady and calm gaze, "I am and so is your father and Garrett."

It was his turn to be surprised when Jackson didn't seem shocked by that news.

"Did you already know?"

"No, but Nick and I suspected and Nicholas found Dad's playroom."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, "I hope that he has stayed out of there. That is a private place and Edward would be really pissed if you two have been messing around in there…"

"No! It wasn't like that! I've never seen it and Nick only found it because he has always tried to get into that locked room and as soon as he found it, he left. He told me that he hasn't been back in there."

"Good, because you _never_ breach another Dom's playroom without permission. That is lesson one."

The two men looked at each other silently.

"Who told you about Garrett and me?"

Jackson bit his lip and in that moment, Jasper saw how much like Bella he seemed, "Well, Jared saw you having coffee with Damitri one time and he told Nick about it, but I just brushed it off to him and well Uncle Garrett has those BDSM clubs."

Jasper snorted. Damn kids! They were too clever for their own good nowadays.

"Are you going to tell my dad?"

Jasper pursed his lips as he thought about it, "No, but you need to have a serious conversation with him and before you say anything, hear me out, okay?"

Jackson nodded reluctantly.

"Your father and I have been Dominants since we were your age, maybe a little younger, and we were fortunate to find a really great mentor in the lifestyle, but I got involved with a woman who did some real physical and mental damage to me and things were really rough for a while. Alice was a godsend in my life and so was your dad."

Jackson tried to block the image of his aunt and his uncle in a playroom – gross!

Jasper smirked before he went on, "I'm talking to you about this only because it's important: you and Nick need to find yourselves trustworthy mentors. Do not trust everything that you read on the Internet, because there is a lot of crap out there. Do not trust everyone who tells you that they are a Dom or a sub either because a lot of people run around sprouting those words but they have no idea what it really means. You need to do some real soul-searching Jackson. You need to find out if you are really interested in the lifestyle of BDSM or if you are just turned on by a bit of kinky sex."

Jackson looked ready to protest but Jasper held his hand out, "Listen, I'm not trying to insult either of you, but let's face facts here: Most people think that being tied up and spanked with a feather duster is what BDSM is all about because that is what you see in porn movies and shit. Or they go to the other extreme and think that a Dom can give someone golden showers or that you can beat the shit out of someone and its okay, but that is nothing like what being a Dominant is about."

Jasper noticed that Jackson looked repulsed by what he had said.

His voice was gentler as he spoke again, "Jack, I don't know if you are a Dominant or a submissive but if you are genuinely interested then you need to tell your father and if you like, I can introduce you to Damitri. I know that he does private mentoring and I trust him. He is well respected as a Dom and a teacher and he does online mentoring as well. You don't have to go to him, but I'm sure that he will be able to refer you to someone who is trustworthy and who has the same values as you have. It's pointless being exposed to someone who likes to inflict pain if that isn't your thing."

Jackson agreed readily. The thought of intentionally causing someone a lot of pain

Jackson felt as if he was going to pass out when his uncle began talking so casually about the lifestyle but the more he talked, the more Jack began to relax. He trusted Jasper and he knew that he would not betray his confidence.

Jasper could see how anxious his nephew was and he thought back to how he had struggled with his own feelings as a young man. Thankfully he had Edward who had been his confidant from the beginning and even though they had not known all of the answers, just having someone that he could talk to had been a godsend.

"Jack, maybe you could tell me a little about your 'history' and why you think that you are a Dom."

Jackson felt the tips of his ears begin to burn with embarrassment as he quickly took a sip of water.

"I um, well, I like to be in control, you know." He mumbled as he stared at the ground.

"Head up, Jack, there is nothing to be ashamed of. One of the first things that I learned was not to be ashamed of who and what I am. Now," he said gently. When Jackson looked at him with determination in his green eyes, "That's better, try again."

"Well, I think that I've always liked to have control over whatever situation I've been in. Even as a kid, I found that having control made me feel secure."

Jasper nodded, because he knew exactly what Jack was talking about.

For the next several minutes Jackson spoke about his growing feelings and how his brief relationship with Becky had seemed to 'connect the dots' for him as far as his sexual orientation went. He was open about his internet research.

Jasper asked a few questions about how he and Nicholas had become aware of each other's 'interests' in an alternative lifestyle and Jasper promised to talk to Nicholas himself.

After that, the two men talked a little more before Jasper stood up and they began to walk back to the house.

Just before Jasper and Alice's house came into view, Jasper stopped walking and put his hand on Jackson's shoulder, "Jack, I know that this may seem weird to you, but I want you to know that you can come to me anytime you need to talk. Now, I'll tell your brother the same thing and I mean it. There isn't any judgment here, but you do need to be careful who you speak to and I'm very proud of the way that you and Nicholas have conducted yourselves so far."

Jasper looked around them, before he turned back to his nephew, "There are always going to be people in this world that will judge you and will label you an abuser or a woman hater because you like to have control and you spank or flog your girlfriend, submissive or partner. I'm here to tell you that as long as you don't abuse the authority that you will be given by your sub, you are not a monster. Your submissive must be treated with the utmost respect at all times and if you can do that, then you will become a worthy Dominant."

Jackson nodded.

"I'm going to email you some reputable reading material that I have that may help to explain some things to you and may make your search a little clearer. I will also send you a list of writers who know the subject of alternative lifestyles well and who present a well balanced perspective."

Jackson stuck his hand out, "Thank you, Jazz. This means the world to me, this has been a lonely journey and I've doubted myself so many times."

Jasper saw the sheen of unshed tears in the younger man's eyes and he used their clasped hands to pull him into a tight hug.

"You are a good man, Jackson Cullen. You have a gentle heart and there is no need to be afraid. No one in this family will judge or reject you, I promise." He murmured.

Jackson tightened his arms around his uncle's broad shoulders briefly before he stepped back and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand.

The gesture was so reminiscent of Edward that Jasper had to bite back a smile.

"You okay?"

Jack nodded, "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Never be sorry about being human, Son." A movement at the corner of his house made him look up but there wasn't anyone there.

"Well, I think that we may be having a barbeque, so I'll see you later?"

"Yeah, Papa said something about that this morning."

They parted and for the first time in a very long time, Jackson felt light hearted as he walked back to the main house.

After a shower and throwing on a pair of old jeans and a T-shirt Jackson found his twin sitting in the kitchen alone. She had what looked like a school book in front of her as she spooned some left over fruit salad into her mouth. It was a rare occasion to be alone in a house full of people and Jackson tweaked her hair as he passed her to pull a bottle of water out of the fridge.

"Hey Sis, what are you doing?" he asked as he pulled out a chair and joined her at the island.

Alexis loved studying Interior Design and she was always finding something to read on the subject.

"Hmm, just enjoying the peace and quiet. The others went to the beach and Nick went with Chris to fetch Steven. How was your run?" Alexis asked as she looked at her twin.

Although she and Jackson had never discussed their relationships in any great detail, Alexis had known that there was something different about her older sibling for some time. The only time that she had broached the subject was the only time that they had a disagreement that led to them not talking for a couple of months, until one weekend when Alexis had returned to the apartment that she shared with Joshua from the library to find her twin on the front doorstep with an overnight bag in one hand and a bedraggled bunch of flowers in the other.

Alexis had never brought up the subject again.

Jackson ran a hand through his almost dry hair, "It was good, Jasper is so damn fit."

Alexis laughed, "He probably has to keep in shape to tie Alice up all the time." She said lightly.

Water sprayed across the island before Jackson began to splutter and cough. Alexis jumped off her seat and pounded his back until he was able to breathe again.

Without saying a word, Alexis walked into the large butler's pantry and fetched paper towels. The silence in the room was loaded as she quickly wiped up the spilled water and handed Jackson several towels to dry himself off.

Once the kitchen was spotless, she pulled her hair off her shoulders and twisted it up into a messy bun that she secured with a band that was around her wrist.

"Do you want to take a drive with me?" Alexis asked.

Brown eyes met green and Jackson didn't need to hear her words to know that she knew. It was quite daunting how well Alexis knew him sometimes but he had never questioned it and although he was close to his younger brothers, Alexis had always been an extension of himself.

He nodded wordlessly and they walked out to the garage and found one of the Jeeps parked in the five car garage that was kept for their use.

Alexis pulled the keys off the wall and tossed them to her brother.

Jackson waved to the guard at the gate before he accelerated out onto the dirt road that led to the main road. At the intersection he turned away from town as Alexis fiddled with her iPod and soon soft classical music filled the car.

They didn't talk for several minutes until Jackson turned towards one of his favorite places at Lake Tahoe. It was a quiet lookout point that not many people knew about because it was off the main road.

He pulled in and turned the car off. After a few minutes, Alexis loosened her seatbelt and turned to face Jackson.

"You know, you have always been able to talk to me Jay." She said quietly.

Jackson swallowed and reached across for the small hand that was laying on the center consol. The delicacy of Alexis' hand reminded him so much of his mother's. But he knew that the deceptively delicate hand held a lot of inner strength. He looked up from under his lashes to see his sister staring at him with love and understanding in her eyes.

"How, um, how long have you known?" he asked. He suddenly wished that he had brought the water with them.

"About Dad, Uncle Jazz or you and Nick?"

Jackson's eyes widened, "Shit Lex! Is there anything that you don't know?"

Alexis laughed, "What would you like to know?"

"How long have you known about me, I mean."

"Well, I think that I kind of knew when we were small. You remind me so much of Dad in the way that you like to control everything, from the order that you keep your music in to the way that your desk is arranged to your emotions, especially your emotions. I saw the similarities between you and then I noticed that Dad, Jazz, Uncle Garrett and even Papa have a certain way about them."

Jackson's mind was still reeling over the fact that Alexis had all but suggested that their grandfather was also a Dominant and he almost didn't catch the rest of what she said.

"You have a commanding air about you – and I mean all four of you. You seldom lose your temper, you are all able to get people to do things without having to convince them or even persuade them. Okay, besides Becky, I haven't really seen you with anyone, but you should really look at how Papa and Nana are together and you will see that Jasper and Alice, Dad and Mom and Garrett and Kate are the same way. There is a…" Alexis stared out of the window as she searched for the right words to express what she had witnessed between the couples her entire life.

"There is a protectiveness about the way that the men in our family treat the women. But at the same time there is submissiveness about the women towards their partners. If you know what to look for, it's very easy to see." Alexis gave a small shrug.

Jackson's eyebrows rose in silent question.

"It's true! Alice is not a submissive woman at all and she will stand up to Uncle Em and Daddy without a second thought but with Uncle Jasper, she will be sassy and even belligerent to a point and then he gives her a look or he says her name, usually her full name, you know, 'Mary Alice' and she just pulls back."

Suddenly Jackson had to get some air and he quickly opened his door and met his sister in front of the Jeep. They took a path together and walked down to the shore. This part of the North West shore was part of a reserve and Jackson knew from experience that they were going to meet anyone along the pathway.

Alexis began to collect small stones and after she inspected them, she began to hand several to Jackson who smiled at her, "Thanks".

He began to skim the stones across the still, small bay.

No words passed between the siblings, except for the occasional 'Nice one." Or "This looks like a good stone.'

Alexis nibbled on her lip as she looked at her brother from the corner of her eye.

She had battled the decision to bring this subject up for a long time. Tiffany Anne was the closest person to Alexis. The two girls were closer than sister or best friends and they had few if any secrets.

With Alexis and Tiffany's attention to detail, they had been in their early teens when they had discussed the dynamics within their parents' marriages.

Tiffany had observed that her mother was far more subdued on certain occasions. At first the girls had wondered if their mothers were afraid of their fathers but they had dismissed that idea after giving it careful consideration.

Tiffany Anne knew that her parents adored each other. The love that flowed out of her father, as he would watch her mother doing something menial like setting the dinner table was evidence of that. But there were times that one look from Jasper would cause the highly spirited Alice to become quiet and almost demure.

When Tiffany was sixteen, she and Alexis had read a highly publicized Erotic novel about the alternate lifestyle of BDSM and it was then that the pennies began to drop.

Suddenly it was crystal clear what she and Alexis' parents were. The two teenagers had since read several books on the subject, fiction and non-fiction and they were hardly surprised when they realized that their grandparents also practiced the lifestyle.

So when Alexis began to notice similarities between her twin and the other Doms in her family, she knew that he would one day become a Dominant. After the first time that she had tried to reach out to him ended in disaster, Alexis resolved not to bring it up again.

Until that day when she saw Uncle Jasper and Jackson going for a run and somehow she just knew that the time had come to show her brother that she was openly supportive of his choices.

Jackson sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "So, can I ask you something?"

Alexis nodded.

"Are you, jeez this is hard to ask, but are you a s-sub, or a Domme?"

Lexi turned to face her brother with a grin and a twinkle in her eyes, "Jack, can you honestly imagine me wanting some guy to put me over their knee and spank me? Or have me chained to a St. Andrews Cross? Seriously? Alternatively can you see me wearing a leather corset and fishnet stocking with six inch thigh high boots?"

Jackson gasped as those images flashed in his mind, "What? NO! God, no! How do you know this shit? Oh my God, I think I need to bleach my brain!" he said as he rubbed his eyes.

Alexis giggled at the childish action.

"Tiff and I read and we are not stupid. We have known for years – well about four or so years for sure but a bit longer than that when we suspected the truth."

Jackson felt his mouth open and close several times before he found his voice.

"But… how? I mean that I've only known this stuff about myself for the past three years so how the fuck have you known for four or more years?"

Alexis laughed and she linked her hand through his and turned him towards the path, "Come on, Brother Bear, let's go and buy some ice-cream and I will tell you everything. You know for a man, who is studying to become a doctor, your diagnostic skills are seriously lacking." She teased.

Jackson hip checked her, "Yeah, well, I'm studying to be a doctor not a damn CSI agent!"

When they drove back to the house three hours later, Jackson felt lighter and more positive than he had in a long time.

It was official, he thought as he kissed his aunt and grandmother on their cheeks before taking the stairs two at a time to the attic dorm to shower and change for the party that was being held down the road.

His family was insane and weird. He believed everything that Alexis told him about them because she had presented her case with logic and forethought. To say that he was impressed with her and Tiffany detective skill was a gross understatement and he vowed to never try and hide something from his sister or his cousin again.

*ΩafloΩ*

When they arrived back at the house, they could hear that Steven had arrived and that the guys were playing basketball on the court on the side of the main house.

"I'll see you later Brother Bear, I'm going to find Tiffany." Alexis said.

She walking into the main house and was about to walk up the stairs to her bedroom when she looked up and saw someone coming up the stairs from the basement.

Alexis' hand flew to her mouth as she muffled a scream.

"Jeez, you startled me!" she exclaimed as the slim built young man stood staring at her.

Alexis frowned, "Wait, what are you doing here?"

The man pushed his greasy mousy brown hair off his face and shrugged, "I was doin' maintenance. Faucet was leaking."

Alexis shook her head, "I actually meant what are you doing here in Tahoe? You work in the stables at the ranch don't you?"

The man began to shake his head, but Alexis spoke again, "Yes, yes you do, I remember now, you saddled Max's pony for him! Darryl, right?"

The man nodded shortly.

"How come you are here now?"

The man shuffled and looked uncomfortable for a moment before he spoke up, "Um, the Boss asked me to come down and help out around here while everyone is here."

"Oh! Oh well, okay, thanks for fixing the faucet." Alexis said and she watched as he walked out of the front door.

"Who are you talking to Honey?"

Alexis looked up to see Nana Esme standing in the doorway to the kitchen.

"One of the work crew. A new guy named Darryl something. Hey, Nan, did you ask for a faucet to be fixed in the basement?"

Esme shook her head, "I was downstairs just yesterday because I have to finish the list of groceries for the week and there was nothing wrong with the faucet. Why do you ask?"

Alexis looked back at the front door with a puzzled look on her face, "I must have got the wrong story then."

She looked back at her grandmother and smiled, "So, has the kettle boiled?"

Esme laughed, "Come on, I was just about to sit down for some tea myself."

As they linked arms, Alexis turned back to look at the front door.

_Why would Uncle Jasper ask a stable hand to work at the Tahoe compound doing house maintenance?_

It didn't make sense because they had a very capable caretaker/maintenance manager. David and Tracy O'Brien had been living on the property for the past ten years and their children, Bryce and his older sister Mandy were very good friends of theirs.

Alexis thought back to her encounter with the man who didn't seem to be much older than she was. She had noticed him around the ranch when she had first arrived home. He always seemed to be watching them or he was in the same place that they were.

Alexis thought back to the day that they had gone horse riding.

_The boys had made sure that all the saddles were properly on the horses while Alexis and Tiffany checked that the minis riding hats were on properly._

_Alexis noticed that a ranch hand was saddling Max's pony Trigger, while Max looked on anxiously wringing his hands._

"_Max, come here so that I can put your helmet on." _

_Max looked at his sister before he said something to the man who knelt down._

_Alexis got distracted for a moment but when she looked back she was surprised to see Max shaking his head vigorously and the man was smiling at him._

"_Max!"_

_She didn't like the way that the man was holding Max's arm as he tried to pull away._

_Alexis walked across the paddock. Just then the man stood up and glared at her before his face went devoid of all expression._

"_Hi, are you new here?" Alexis asked._

_He nodded, "Darryl White"_

_Alexis smiled, "I'm Alexis, Max's older sister." She looked down at Max who was clutching her leg._

"_Did you thank Mister White for saddling up Trigger, Max?" she asked._

_Max refused to look up but just shrugged._

_Alexis smiled at the man, "Sorry, he gets a little shy sometimes, but thank you for your help." She said._

"_Hey, Maxwell, we need to put on your helmet." Alexis said as she reached out and pulled her brother against her legs._

_Max was as still as a board and it was only when the man tipped his hat mockingly, and turned away from them that she felt the small body relax._

_Alexis bent down and looked into Max's face._

"_Hey Buddy, are you okay? Why were you so rude to him?"_

_Max looked over his shoulder at the disappearing figure before he looked back at her._

"_I don't like him. He's a bad man."_

"_Why do you say that?"_

_Max opened his mouth but then he shut it again and shrugged._

_Just then Daniel called out that they were ready and Alexis put Max's helmet on and helped him to mount his pony before she mounted her own horse, Daisy Boo._

*ΩafloΩ*

Alexis realized that she had never pressed Max to find out why he didn't like Darryl, but now she made a mental note to see if she could find out as much as she could about Darryl White and she would ask Tiffany Anne to help her. Tiffany was brilliant at finding information on the Internet.

There was something about him that Alexis didn't trust but she couldn't put her finger on it.

**A/N: Patience my loves, patience. I am building to something here, but please DO NOT PANIC! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 7**

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella felt something tickle her cheek and she flicked it away in her sleep. Edward chuckled quietly as he traced the curve of her chin with his pointer finger.

Max was due home that morning and Bella was relishing her last quiet morning for a while but it seemed that Edward had other ideas.

Brown eyes cracked open and glared at his handsome face, "Edward Cullen, you are a menace! Go away!"

Edward laughed again but this time he ducked his head and gently scraped his stubble chin against Bella's bare shoulder.

"Ow! Damn, you are like a grizzly bear!" Bella tried to swat him away as he rolled on top of her.

As they tussled, the bedding became tangled in their legs until they could hardly move and they were laughing so hard, they were breathless.

Finally they lay panting and giggling as they exchanged kisses.

Suddenly Edward sat up and stared over at the clock.

"Shit! Your dad's here!" he hissed and it was only then that Bella heard her youngest child's high pitched babbling and the low rumble of her father's voice.

Edward was scrambling to pull on his sleep pants and he threw his discarded shirt to Bella, who quickly remembered that she was naked and pulled it on.

She was just rolling up the sleeves when the bedroom doors were pushed open with force.

"See, Grumpy? I told you that she was here! It's –" suddenly Max stopped in the middle of the room and gasped, "DADDY!" he shouted and he tripped as he ran into his father's arms.

Edward scooped him up and peppered his face with kisses as Max squealed and laughed hysterically.

Bella watched the scene with a lump in her throat. She looked up to see Charlie standing in the doorway with a satisfied look on his face.

"Hey Dad," Bella got up and walked over to kiss Charlie.

"Hey Bells. I'm glad to see that you have been taking advantage of the empty house."

Bella blushed as she tried to pull Edward's shirt over her legs.

Charlie laughed, "It's okay, Kid, at least you are moderately covered up."

Bella rolled her eyes, "Do you have time for some tea? I have a coffee cake that I'm sure you would love to try out."

Charlie grinned, "Sounds good. Why don't I take Max downstairs and we can put the plates out while Grandma Sue, Izzy and Casey come inside. Hey Max? Let's go and get Grandma Sue out the car okay?"

*ΩafloΩ*

Max's small arms tightened around Edward's neck before he sighed and nodded.

He patted and then kissed Edward's cheek, "I missed you Daddy, I don't like it when you go away." He whispered.

Edward brushed the wild brown hair out of the little boy's eyes, "I missed you so much, Max-max and I promise that I won't be leaving you for a long time."

Max stared into his father's eyes. They were the same color as his own and his big brother, Jack. He loved his daddy and he could see by the bright green color that his daddy was telling the truth about not going away.

He had been having bad dreams for a while. Sometimes he could remember his dreams and sometimes he couldn't.

That nasty man had scared him and he was going to tell his brothers but then the man had told him that if he told anyone, Max was going to be taken away from his mommy and daddy and they wouldn't find him and so he had kept the secret, but Grumpy knew something was wrong because he had wet his bed.

Grumpy promised that he wouldn't tell. Max felt safe in his daddy's arms. His daddy was strong and Max wanted to tell him about the man but he was scared.

Max nodded satisfied and he wiggled to the ground. As he reached his grandfather, he looked up at his mother and pulled on the end of the funny dress that she was wearing.

Bella knelt down and Max hummed as he felt her small but strong arms wrap around his body.

Nothing in the world felt better to Maxwell Cullen than the feel of his parent's arms around him.

"Welcome home, Max." Mommy whispered into his ear.

Max giggled happily as he took his grandfather's hand and he tugged him down the stairs, "Come on Grumpy, let's go get the others!"

Bella and Edward did their ablutions quickly and they dressed similarly in shorts and T-shirts and while Bella went into the kitchen to pour juice and start a pot of tea, Edward walked outside to the waiting truck where Charlie was busy unloading Max's bags.

"Edward! It's good to have you back, Son!" He smiled and hugged Sue and kissed her cheek.

"Watch it, Whippersnapper!" Charlie barked as he threw a sleeping bag at Edward's head. Luckily Edward ducked and it missed, but he had the distinct impression that if Charlie _tried_ to hit him, he wouldn't miss.

"Charlie!" Sue admonished, while Edward grinned at his father in law, "Hey Charlie, glad to see you are in a good mood."

Three little eavesdroppers giggled as the two men exchanged good natured ribbing.

Bella walked outside and she smiled at Seth's two children that were a carbon copy of their father. Both had thick, dark brown hair and smiling brown eyes.

"Who wants some coffee cake or Spiderman and Barbie cupcakes?"

"Aunty Bewwa!" Isabelle shouted gleefully. Bella held out her arms as the little girl sprinted forward.

"You look as if you all had a really good time camping! Are you hungry?"

Max and Izzy nodded while Casey answered quietly. Casey was quiet like his mother, while Isabella was outgoing and friendly like her father.

Max led the procession inside while Bella waited for her step mother and hugged her tightly, "Hey Sue, I'm amazed that you are still sane after having this lot for five days in the wild!"

"To tell you the truth, Bells, I love every minute of it. These little ones really brighten up our quiet lives. We had a fabulous time and you know how much we love Schoolhouse Canyon. I could hardly keep the boys out of the water." Sue explained as Sue carried the pot of tea, while Charlie loaded up a large wooden tray and Bella poured plastic 'glasses' of juice, while Edward handed each child a cupcake of their choice before he opened the back glass door that led to the expansive outside dining room and breathtaking back yard.

Once they were sitting outside, Edward and Charlie walked over to watch the children as they had their snack and then played on the beautiful Cederwood castle climbing frame that Edward had installed for Max's third birthday. An entire section of the expansive backyard had been converted into a child's dream play area. There was a winding path for small push bikes or dolly pushchairs; a miniature water feature complete with colorful stones, fat frogs and tiny fairies that peeped around the corners of plants as well as a teepee.

Charlie and Edward watched the children for a moment before Charlie spoke up, "Edward is everything alright with Max? Could he be picking up on the tension between you and Bella?"

Edward wanted to hit something in frustration. He wished that everyone would just leave him and Bella to sort out their own shit!

Charlie watched his son in law's growing anger and he quickly dispelled it, "I'm not trying to interfere, but something is bothering Maxwell. He was sucking his thumb the other day and he wet the bed one night. It was only when I slept with him and Case that he seemed to settle down."

Edward shook his head, "Bella hasn't said anything, but we'll watch him and talk to him. I think that it will be good for us to have some one on one time for the next two weeks. We may even go to the lake a little early this year because I've taken a leave of absence for the next six months."

Charlie was thrilled that Edward seemed to have gotten his head out of his ass.

"I keep my guns locked and loaded, Son. Just saying." Charlie muttered as he got up and walked over to push Izzy on the swing.

Edward rolled his eyes, some things never changed.

*ΩafloΩ*

Sue and Bella sat at the bay window in the breakfast room as Sue regaled Bella with stories of the children (and Charlie's) antics that soon had them chuckling.

"I swear Bella, your dad is worse than the kids sometimes, but seeing how he lights up whenever he gets the opportunity to take them fishing or even just collecting stones, well it makes my heart melt every time."

Bella nodded. She was glad that her father had used every opportunity over the past almost twenty years to make up for the years of neglect that she had suffered at his hand when she was a child, but sometimes she still felt a twinge of resentment that it had taken heartbreak, tears and them almost losing each other for him to see what he had been missing.

Sue saw the look that Bella tried to hide and she gently put her hand over Bella's, "He will never quite be able to forgive himself for what he did to you, Bells, but he has tried to make amends in his own way over the past years. I know that you have forgiven him, but you don't need to feel guilty if you still get a little upset – you have every right to feel that way, Sweetie."

At Sue's words Bella let out a heavy sigh of relief and she turned her hand so that their hands were clasped on the table top.

"Thank you Sue, it means a lot coming from you."

Sue smiled calmly, "Now, how are you and Edward doing? I noticed some hot and heavy looks between the two of you."

Bella blushed and then laughed at herself, "Look at me! I'm an old woman and I still blush!"

Sue snorted, "Oh please Bella! You are far from old, my dear girl! If your father and I can go at it like rabbits at least once a day, then my girl, you are going to be giving your husband a 'good time' for a very long time to come!"

Bella felt her mouth drop open in shock before she almost chocked as Sue giggled and added, "Pardon the pun! You get it '_a long time to come'_?"

"Sue Clearwater-Swan, you are… oh my God! You have spent far too much time with Emmett!"

Sue giggled again. When she had married Charlie, neither of them had expected Seth to ask if he could change his name to Clearwater-Swan and Charlie had been so happy that he had asked Bella if she would mind if he adopted Seth. Bella had readily agreed because she already loved Seth as if he was her own brother.

Bella shook her head at her stepmother's antics, "I'm telling Seth!"

This only made Sue laugh harder, "You can act as straight-laced as you like, Mrs. Cullen, but I happen to know that you and your hunky husband do things that would make my hair curl and Charlie has some imagination..." her voice faded and Bella blanched at the dazed look in her eyes.

Bella got up quickly, "Okay! TMI, Sue! I can't believe that you still can't keep your hands off each other after all this time."

The retort on Sue's lips died when she saw the almost wistful look in her daughter's eyes.

"Bella, honey I know that things have not been 'normal' between you and Edward for some time, and honestly, I blame Charlie as well as that asshole that was supposed to be an 'expert' on Pre and post natal depression and just ended up being an absolute quack! I'm glad that he lost his license. If I had my way, or any of us, he would be rotting in jail!" Bella could see that Sue was getting worked up as most of her family seemed to do if ever the name of _Ephraim Landenberg _was brought up.

When Sue saw how upset Bella looked, she felt terrible, "Oh Bella, I'm so sorry for bringing this up!"

About six months after Bella had stopped seeing him; Ephraim Landenberg was arrested on charges of fraud, practicing without a license and sexual harassment. It seemed that Ephraim Landenberg was a charlatan and because of the lawsuit that Bella had brought against him, the Medical Board had conducted an in-depth investigation into his past and they had discovered that _Ephraim Landenberg_ did not exist. The man's real name was Larry Calvino and he was wanted in a few states for impersonating a medical doctor.

Bella suddenly wondered what had happened to him. She had been in no state to cope with any drama as she was weaned off medication, bonded with her infant son and tried to perform as a wife and mother. She made a mental note to ask Edward if he knew what had happened to the man, although she knew that both he and Charlie carried a huge amount of guilt over the way that they had 'forced' her treatment onto her.

Bella shook her head to clear it of the negative thoughts. After she took a calming breath she smiled at Sue.

"There is nothing to apologize to me for, Sue. That man is an evil bastard, as bad as or even worse than Jacob because he deliberately preyed on innocent and sick women! He made sure that all of his victims were independently wealthy and desperate enough to just take him at face value! No one knew that he was a liar and a thief. I'm just glad that Edward saw the light before it was too late and I became a hopeless addict."

After that they kept the conversation safe and light and it wasn't long before she and Charlie drove over to Napa to take Casey and Isabelle home.

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward and Bella spent the rest of the day with Max and he loved the exclusive attention from both his parents.

After dinner, Edward and Bella had sat in the bathroom with him while he played for a lot longer than Bella usually allowed.

After he had his Spiderman pajamas on and he had gone to the bathroom for the last time, he lay down and was asleep almost before Edward had finished reading the first page of his bedtime story.

Edward spent a few minutes running one hand through the soft wild hair that was the color of Bella's but was as wild as his. Max was the perfect mixture of the two of them. He had always been a happy and outspoken child. He was usually very independent, but both he and Bella had noticed that he had been rather clingy that afternoon and evening. He had followed Edward around the house although he had kept a close eye on Bella, asking her where she was going if she walked out of the room that they were in.

Edward was about the leave the room when Max spoke up quietly.

"Daddy?"

"Yes Buddy, what's wrong?" Edward turned to see Max staring at him with apprehension.

Max shook his head but Edward could see the sheen of tears in the little boy's eyes and he knelt next to the bed as he brushed Max's wild hair off his warm forehead.

In that moment, Max seemed a lot younger than his almost four years.

"What's the matter, my angel?"

"If the boogieman takes me, will you look for me?" Max whispered after he looked around his room to make sure that they were alone.

Edward was startled by the question and a shiver of foreboding ran down his spine.

He quickly gathered Max onto his lap "Maxwell, what are you talking about? What boogieman? Is someone telling you scary stories? You can tell me, baby." Edward urged.

Max shook his head, but his chin quivered, "Grumpy says it was only bad dreams but Daddy? If I was lost, you will look for me, hey Daddy?"

"If you got lost?"

Max nodded as his little hands gathered the soft material of Edward's T-shirt. Edward could feel the small body tremble slightly and his concern deepened.

"Uh huh. Like, like if a 'Baddie' had to stoled me; you and Mommy would find me?"

Edward became aware that Bella had walked into the room and she settled on the bed next to Edward. Her worried gaze skimmed over her son before she raised her concerned gaze to Edward.

He shook his head gently, trying to convey that he had no idea where this had come from, but that he would address it.

Edward pulled Max closer and wrapped his other arm around Bella and spoke just loud enough for both Max and Bella to hear him.

"Maxwell Edward Cullen, if you were ever lost or stolen, Mommy and I would spend the rest of our lives searching for you. All of your uncles, aunts, grandparents and brothers and sisters would hunt all over the world until we found you again. We love you so much Max, that's one of the reasons that Mommy and I wanted to give you my name. You are our son and we love you and there can never be any reason in this world that would make us stop looking for you until you were home with us again, Son. Mommy and I love all seven of our children very, very much." Edward sat up so that he could maintain steady eye contact with Max.

"Can you see that I'm telling the truth Max?" he asked as he gently brushed his thumb across the soft, baby chubby cheek.

Max stared up at his father and he seemed to be satisfied with whatever his almost four year olds eyes saw there because he nodded somberly.

"Max, you are safe sweetheart. Nothing is going to hurt you. No one is going to steal you. Mommy and Daddy are right here with you, baby," Bella said quietly.

Max nodded as he looked from his father to his mother.

Bella's heart hurt as she saw how upset Max was. Obviously he was anxious about something but she wondered what it was and decided that she would call Seth and Jesse to see whether Max had confided in his cousins at all.

For the moment, Bella put her hand over Max's chest as she leaned down and nuzzled his neck with her nose. She heard him giggle and she lifted her head as she plastered a bright smile on her face, "Max, Daddy and I are right across the hall, honey. Tonight, as a special treat we are going to put a walkie-talkie in your room." She said.

Max's old baby monitor was in the closet and Bella found it quickly and plugged it into the wall socket as she showed Max.

"Now then, when I plug this other part into our bedroom, Daddy and I will be able to hear everything that happens in your room."

Max's eyes grew big, "Weally?"

Edward nodded, "Oh yes, also there is a very loud alarm on every door and every window – even the chimney, so that no one can come into our house and if they try to break in, the alarm will go off and Uncle Emmy's men that keep us safe will come here and so will the police so the boogieman won't come here."

"What men? Like the bad men?" Max panicked.

"No, not the bad men. I'm talking about Quil, Levi, Marcus and Dillon."

"Oh, oh yeah. They are weally, weally cool." Max said. "Sammy says that they know kawate!"

Edward smiled, "Yeah, they know karate, so now do you feel better?"

Max looked from his daddy to his mommy's faces and he could see that they were not telling him fibs or stories like the twins sometimes did.

"Aaawite, I believe you now. Night-night Mommy, Daddy." He said. Edward put him back into his bed and he clutched the monitor under one arm with his stuffed cow, Mooki, and he stuck his thumb into his mouth and closed his eyes.

Bella leaned down and kissed his forehead, "Sleep tight, Sweet Prince." She whispered and Max smiled around his thumb. Bella had called him that since he was born.

Edward pressed a kiss to the top of his head, "Love you, Max. Mommy and Daddy are right here for you."

Max nodded and allowed sleep to take over. He was safe and the big meanie couldn't hurt him.

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward led Bella into their bedroom and Bella immediately plugged the monitor receiver into the wall and she turned up the volume to test it.

The sounds of Maxwell's breathing filled the room and Edward and Bella shared a sad smile.

Edward frowned, "I wonder what the fuck is going on? Charlie said that Max has begun wetting his bed and he's sucking his thumb…" he raked a hand over his face.

Bella shook her head, "Edward, I didn't know that something was wrong – Max has been fine, well except for when I phoned you, but other than that..."

Edward walked across the room and he pulled Bella into a fierce hug, "Bella, this is not your fault. This is probably nothing, Baby. Remember some of the others also went through a 'monster under the bed phase?' Well, that's all it probably is, but I am going to check the house and set the alarm in any case. I'm also going to call down to the guard-house and ask whoever is on duty to be extra vigilant while we are still here. Why don't you phone Jesse and Seth?"

"Okay."

Edward walked around the house making sure that everything was secure. On impulse Edward took out a tray and he put the half a bottle of white wine that was left over from dinner and two glasses onto it. After he checked the time, Edward picked up the house phone and pressed a couple of buttons.

"_This is Marcus"_

"Hi Marcus, its Edward."

"_Yes, Mr. Cullen, what can I do for you? Is something wrong?"_

"Nothing is wrong that I know of, but have we had any strangers on the property besides delivery or service people lately?"

_After a moment's silence Marcus spoke again, "Sir is this about that hand delivered delivery for Mrs. Cullen?"_

"No, I don't think so. Look, it probably isn't anything, but Max is a bit anxious and out of sorts and he was talking about 'bad' men stealing him or him getting lost. As you know Bella, Max and I are alone for the next week or so, but I would appreciate it if you would just keep a look out for anything unusual or out of the ordinary."

"_Of course, Mr. Cullen. Why don't you bring Max by the control room tomorrow? We can show him around and let him see all the precautions that we take. That may help to ease his fears."_

"That's a great idea, Marcus, thank you. Good night"

"_Good night Sir."_

Edward felt more at ease after his conversation with Marcus. He set the alarm before he walked upstairs. He walked into Max's bedroom to check on him. The little boy was curled up as he clutched his Mooki.

Edward leaned down and kissed his baby soft cheek gently and Max gave a little sigh in his sleep. Edward made a point of checking Max's bedroom and bathroom windows.

With a final look he made his way into his and Bella's bedroom. He could hear the shower running and he didn't waste any time in shedding his clothes and joining her in their enormous wet room.

Naked Bella was normally a sight to behold but wet, naked Bella, all soaped up was a heart attack waiting to happen!

Edward's hand stroked his pulsing dick and he muffled his groan as Bella tipped her head back so rinse the conditioner out of her hair.

"Is there room enough for two?" he said.

Bella's eyes shot open and they widened as she took in the sight of him pumping his cock slowly. The flush on her cheeks had nothing to do with the warm water as she licked her lips and opened the door wordlessly.

Edward didn't stop his hand moving as he stepping inside and closed the door. Bella put her hands on Edward's hips and she moved backwards until she was sitting on the bench. Her legs were spread wide as Edward stepped between them.

He began to move his hand away, but Bella stopped him, "Don't stop," she whispered before her pink tongue darted out and she licked the deep red head, with milky precum beading at the top.

"Fuck, Bella," Edward stuttered as his hips jerked forward. He wanted to fist her wet hair and pump himself deep into her throat, but instead he put one hand on the wall behind her as he gripped his cock tighter.

Bells licked her bottom lip as she stared up at him, "Let me,"

He watched her open her mouth and he had to start counting backwards for one thousand, because the feeling of her plump lips and pink tongue had him almost creaming before she had him halfway into her mouth.

Edward held his cock, only gently massaging the base as Bella sucked and traced the veins. She was so wet, dripping as she forced herself not to break eye contact.

Instinctively she wanted to lower her gaze and slip onto her knees, but this was Edward, not her Master, not yet anyway.

"You look so fucking beautiful with my cock in your mouth baby." Edward caressed her jaw with his thumb and Bella felt her pussy twitch, searching for something.

Edward watched as she moved one hand over her flat stomach to her slit. He swallowed noisily as her fingers came away, absolutely dripping with her juices.

"Give me a taste, Beautiful."

Bella hummed in amusement as Edward devoured her fingers but the feeling of Bella humming against him, had Edward's knees almost buckling.

Bella knew that he was close when she saw his stomach muscles clench and she felt the tremor.

"Bella, fuck, baby, I'm gonna – aaaahhh!"

Bella pressed a finger against Edward's tightly clenched ass and that was enough to send his cum squirting down her throat as his legs shook.

"FUCK!"

Bella suction lessened until she licked him clean and sat back against the wall.

Edward's eyes were screwed up as he came down from one of the most powerful climaxes that he had ever experienced.

He opened his eyes when he felt a movement and his cock twitched as he saw that Bella had removed one of the detachable shower heads and she was redirecting it over her pussy.

One leg was propped up on the bench and the other teased her opening as the water sprayed against her clit. Her eyes were closed and Edward thought that she had never looked more desirable than at that moment.

He silenced knelt in front of her and for a few minutes he just watched as she teased herself.

"What are you thinking of Baby?"

Bella didn't open her eyes, but she smiled, "Hmm, the feeling of having your cock in my mouth was enough to make me so wet, Baby. I love how you just let go and I can lap and suck your cock deep into my throat."

Her eyes opened and she stared at him as she pushed two fingers inside her waiting heat, "Oh god that feels so good. Do you know how much it turns me on when you fuck my mouth?"

All that Edward could do was shake his head.

Bella licked her suddenly dry lips.

"Edward, when I have your cock in my mouth, when I am giving you pleasure, it is one of the most sexual and arousing acts that I can perform. Just knowing that you lose yourself and that I have the power to do that to you is enough to make me just explode."

Edward's eyes were drawn to where her fingers were moving in and out and the sound of her fingers breaking the suction that her pussy was creating, had Edward's dick growing hard again.

How was it possible that a middle aged man could bounce back so quickly? Edward would have been amazed if he wasn't so distracted.

His hands reached out and spread her thighs wider as he stared at her bright pink pearl begging for his attention.

Bella dropped the shower head as Edward moved forward and when his lips wrapped themselves around her clit she arched her back and cried out.

"Cum Sweetheart," he cooed as his fingers joined hers and she felt herself stretch to accommodate him.

Her climax overtook her suddenly as she gripped his wet hair and she cried out. Edward put his arms around her hips and pulled her tightly against his mouth as he moved their fingers and sucked all of the juices that ran out into his waiting tongue.

Once Bella became aware of her surroundings again, she opened her eyes to see Edward staring at her with so much love in his eyes that she wanted to cry.

"I love you, Isabella." He said quietly and she sat forward so that she could kiss him with all the love that she was feeling.

"I love you too."

After they finally washed each other, they dried off and crawled into bed after they checked on Max again.

"So, Jesse and Seth have no idea what's going on with Max. Jesse said that Seth was going to have a quiet word with Casey to see if he said anything. Maybe it's nothing."

They were lying in the dark, with Bella sprawled across Edward's chest.

Edward hummed in response as he continued to play with her hair, "Could be nothing but I called up to the Guardhouse and Marcus was on duty. He suggested that I take Max to visit tomorrow so that they can show him how well guarded we are."

Bella turned to look at him, "That's a good idea."

Edward nodded and ran his hands through her towel dried hair. He loved the feel of the soft curls through his fingers.

Bella put her head onto his chest and let out a sigh, "Sleep tight, Darling."

*ΩafloΩ*

"Hi Mom, how are you?"

Bella smiled broadly when she heard her oldest daughter's voice.

"Alexis honey, we are fine! How are you? Have you got a tan yet? Are you wearing sunscreen?"

Alexis laughed, "We are fine, Mom and yes I'm wearing sunscreen and yes, Nana is making sure that we are all wearing sunscreen and that we take hats and T-shirts with to the beach! Don't worry about us. The boys are fine and send their love."

She looked across the kitchen to where Nicholas and Jackson are sitting along with their cousins. Although it was just after nine in the morning, they had all just sat down to breakfast.

Nicholas looked up and mouth 'Mom?' Alexis nodded, "So, is Daddy home yet?"

She could hear the happiness though the telephone as Bella giggled, "Yes he is! He surprised me by coming home early and we spent the weekend in the city before Max came home on Monday. It's been great having him home."

"I'm sure it is Mom. You sound happy."

Bella sighed, "I am Sweetheart." There was a moment's hesitation before Bella continued, "Lexi, I know that things have been strained between Daddy and I, but I want you to know that we are fine. Spending this time together has been really good for us and we are seeing someone to help us to communicate better."

Alexis turned to face the window so that no one could see the sheen of tears in her eyes. "I'm so glad Mom. You and Daddy – well, you guys are everything to us…" she left the rest of her sentence unvoiced but Bella knew what she wasn't saying.

"I'm so sorry that we scared you, Sweetheart and I promise you that your father and I are going to be stronger than ever. We love each other too much to ever even think of giving this up. Nothing and no one is going to break us apart, Lex."

Alexis gripped the phone as she heard the regret in her mother's voice. Bella had acted as if nothing was wrong but she hadn't fooled any of them and the distance between her parents had taken its toll on everyone.

Sam and Nicholas had tried to step into Edward's shoes in his absence and both Alexis and Jackson had noticed the growing contempt that Sam seemed to have for their father.

Alexis had tried to talk to Sam about his feelings, but he kept brushing her off. She hoped that he would take the time that he had while at camp to work his feelings out.

"When are you guys coming down here?" Alexis asked, changing the subject.

"We should be flying out towards the end of next week. Sam will be back from camp just after that."

After talking for a few more minutes, mother and daughter said goodbye.

Alexis jumped when she felt a hand on her shoulder and she turned to find her grandfather looking at her with concern.

"Are you okay, Lex?" Carlisle frowned at the tears in his granddaughters eyes.

Alexis nodded quickly and dashed the tears away with her hand, "Yeah, Papa. I was just talking to Mom and feeling a little homesick."

Carlisle didn't believe her but he knew when to push and when to let things go and so he just rubbed Alexis' back gently before pulling into a hug.

"You can talk to me about anything, Alexis; you don't have to carry the world on your shoulders, Sweetie."

He kissed her forehead before he searched her eyes, "You understand?"

Alexis quickly looked over at her siblings and when she saw that they were engaged in a conversation she looked back at him, "Can, um, can we talk later, Papa?"

Carlisle smiled, "Of course we can, and in fact I was going to ask if you would like to help me to get the Pride ready for the holidays."

Alexis grinned at her grandfather. They both knew that _**Cullen's Pride**_, which was Carlisle's 25' Pontoon and Carlisle's 'baby' was in perfect running order because he obsessed over it so much.

"I would love to Papa C. Do you want to take her out this afternoon?"

"That's a good idea. After lunch?"

Alexis nodded and on impulse she went up on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to Carlisle's cheek, "Thank you Pops." She whispered before she moved to join her siblings and cousins.

"What was that about?"

Carlisle turned to see Esme standing beside him. Although he was thinking about his grandchildren and their parents he was quick to appreciate the jeans that fitted his slim wife like a glove as well as the 'peasant' blouse that clung to her breasts like a lover's hands.

"Carlisle?" he lifted his gaze to meet Esme's amused gaze.

"Oh, sorry," he smirked, sounding anything but sorry.

"What was that about?"

"Hmm, I'm not sure, but Alexis and I are going to spend some time together this afternoon, making sure that the Pride is ready for the water. I think we may chat then."

Esme nodded, "Good, I'm glad. I spoke to Edward earlier this morning and he sounds really happy." The couple shared a look, "He sounds happier than he has in quite some time and so did Bella. I heard her and Max singing in the background."

Carlisle put an arm around Esme's slim waist, "I'm glad and I hope that this means that they have turned the corner."

"I hope so."

*ΩafloΩ*

Alexis and Carlisle pulled the tarpaulin off the seats and Alexis went to work with a scrubbing brush, while Carlisle washed the deck before he began to polish the already spotless driver's controls. They worked in silence for a while, until Carlisle pulled out a bottle of beer for himself and a soda for Alexis.

They sat under the shade cloth and sipped their drinks.

"So, Nana told me that she spoke to your dad this morning. She said that he sounds really happy and excited to be home."

Alexis stared out at the lake as she nibbled her bottom lip and Carlisle smiled at how much like Bella she was, when she looked at him with a tinge of color on her cheeks.

"That's good. It's about time as well. Mom sounded happy too – almost giddy actually. Mom said that she and Dad are seeing a councilor or something." Her eyes filled with tears again, "I didn't know that things were that bad that they had to see someone." She said so quietly that Carlisle strained to hear her.

When she blinked rapidly he moved from the seat across from her to beside her and he drew her into a hug.

"Oh Alexis, you are so much like your parents that it is endearing as well as so darn frustrating!"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, poppet, Edward always was the most dramatic of our children." He said as he rolled his eyes. Alexis smiled, "He was?"

"Can't you tell?" They laughed then as she nodded.

"He is one of the most intense people that I've ever met and he holds so much inside. Your mother on the other hand, is a bit of an ostrich."

"An ostrich? Like the bird?"

"Exactly like the bird – you see when crisis hits she first of all blames herself, and then she hides her head in the sand and pretends that everything is just fine and you know what _fine_ stands for, right?"

Alexis shook her head and Carlisle grinned, "Fucked up, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional"

"Papa Carlisle!" Alexis gasped as she wiped soda from her chin.

Carlisle held up a hand, "Now, don't get me wrong, Poppet, I love your mother as if she were my own daughter and I would do anything for her, but," he shook his head, "she has got to be one of the most stubborn people that I have ever met and if you combine that stubbornness with a low self esteem, the ability to jump to conclusions without listening with your father's knack for wanting to protect your mother at all costs, even or should I say especially from himself and let's just say that it can be very frustrating."

Alexis nodded but she looked worried as she bit her lip.

"What is it? You can tell me anything, Alexis, you know that."

"Well, it's just that they sound so happy but what if," she shrugged and looked away.

"What if they don't mean it?"

Alexis looked into her grandfather's blue eyes and she nodded.

Carlisle took her hand in his, "There is nothing in this world that Edward loves as much as he loves Bella and she loves him with everything inside her and that is why they messed up in the first place. You dad wants to protect your mother from anything that could possibly hurt her and if that means removing himself then that's what he will do. And she is just as bad, because instead of confronting him, she has 'bravely soldered on' but it's not so much brave as cowardly if you ask me."

As Alexis spent the afternoon talking and working alongside Carlisle, she appreciated why everyone went to him for guidance and advice. He was straightforward without being pushy and he was honest without being brutal.

As they walked back to the house, Alexis spoke again, "Thank you for today, Papa. I think that Daddy is really fortunate to have you as a father."

Carlisle stopped walking and turned to face her, "Your dad is a good man, Alexis and he would do anything for your mother or you kids. Don't let his absenteeism fool you. Sometimes it's very easy to get 'lost' in ones work if it is the 'easier' option. You dad would rather cut himself off from your mom than say or do anything to hurt her."

"The problem with that is that we, well okay, not Jack and I but Nick and Sam have had to live at the ranch as well and with him being busy or being away all the time, the boys and the minis have had a hard time with it."

Carlisle nodded, "Sam?"

Alexis nodded, "Nick too, but not as bad as Sam. He is really protective over Mom and he is pissed. That's one of the reasons why he was happy to go to camp. I don't think that it has as much to do with playing ball as it may have to do with him getting away from us."

Carlisle sighed and ran his hand through his hair. Alexis smiled sadly, every male in their family did the same thing when they were stressed or nervous, even her Uncle Jasper.

"I thought as much. The boy's been really quiet lately. Now, don't you worry about this any longer, young lady, you just let your parents handle their own balls-up! Come on, I know that Nana was going to make some brownies this afternoon."

*ΩafloΩ*

Rosalie stared at Edward with a mixture of shock and disbelief, "Are you kidding me? Edward, that only gives us two weeks! How the fuck am I supposed to pull this off? What about…"

Edward had reached over and put his hand over her mouth while she shot daggers at him, "Please don't bite me. Rosie, I really need your help. I want to do this, I have to do this. I need to show Bella, our kids and the rest of the family that I am deadly serious. Please."

Rose stared at him over her kitchen table. Edward had arrived at the house early that morning, just as Rosalie and Emmett were enjoying a last cup of coffee before Emmett left for a meeting with the marketing people. They had developed a new white wine and there were decisions to be made regarding the bottle, label and all the other things that made a wine successful. The wine itself was only half of the package.

When Edward walked in wearing a pair of old jeans, a grey T-shirt and a pair of work boots, Rosalie cocked an eyebrow at him, "Slumming it today, Rock Star?"

Edward hadn't taken the bait and instead he had asked if he could talk to her regarding a 'sensitive' matter.

Rose had looked at Emmett who had shrugged his shoulders and kissed her goodbye.

"What's up?"

"Rose, I um, I have already emailed Sue and asked for her discretion and her help but I need your help as well." He began hesitantly.

"Go on."

"I want to marry Bella, I-I mean I want to marry her again, well not marry-marry, but rededicate or renew our vows, yeah that's it, I want us to renew our wedding vows." He took a deep breath, "In Tahoe, on our wedding anniversary. On June twenty-second, that's in about um, two weeks…"

That's when Rosalie had begun to sprout protests and questions.

Once she promised to listen, Edward outlined his plan.

"I emailed Sue and she spoke to Charlie, who agreed to help me. Look, we don't need or even want a lot. It's just going to be the family and Garrett, Kate and their kids. Sue suggested that we just keep it simple, with just a blessing and vows and then a dinner. But there is stuff that I need your help with."

Rosalie's eyebrows rose and Edward swallowed nervously. Seriously, Rosalie still had the ability to make him want to protect his balls.

"Well, she will need a dress, you know and so will the girls." He looked down a crumbled piece of paper and Rose had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from laughing.

Edward's brow crinkled in concentration as he squinted at his writing before he mumbled to himself and pulled his glasses case from his pocket and he slipped his black framed glasses on and Rosalie admitted that they just enhanced his good looks.

"Um… okay, dresses, chinos and shirts for the boys, food… um, oh shit! The rings! I need rings… hmm, I'd better phone Jerry Lebowitz," he looked up. "Hey, do you think that he's still making jewelry and stuff? I want to get the girls something special as well and maybe crest cuffs for the boys? What do you think?"

Rosalie was already on her laptop.

"Right: first of all, have you spoken to Alice yet?"

Edward shook his head.

Rosalie tut-tuttered, "Edward, you can't leave her out of the loop, she will be crushed! And besides, Tiffany, Mom and Alexis will be able to receive anything that we need to have delivered there, as well and organize local caterers, flowers, music and décor. Em and I are driving down this weekend."

Edward nodded reluctantly, "Okay, well I should go and phone Ali"

"Why don't we just call them now? That way we can put our heads together and come up with a little more than just you two wearing jeans on the beach!"

Edward smiled, "Jeans sound awesome!"

Rosalie rolled her eyes and she pulled him towards Emmett's office so that they could conference call the girls.

*ΩafloΩ*

The house phone rang in Lake Tahoe and Tiffany picked it up. The women were going to try out a new spa, followed by lunch and shopping.

"Hello?"

"Hello Tiffany, how are you?"

"Hi Uncle E. It's been a great vacation so far, the weather has been awesome! How are you and Aunt B doing?"

"Tiffany? Sweetie, it's Rosie, can you get your mom, Nana and Alexis together and call us back on the home phone? We need to discuss something really important."

"Sure Aunty Rose, we'll call you back in five!"

Tiffany threw the phone down and ran through the house screaming for everyone.

Five minutes later, they were huddled around the downstairs office as Alice dialed the number.

"Cullen Cr"

"What's happening?" Alice interrupted Rosalie's greeting.

She pouted when everyone started laughing.

"Relax Squirt!"

"Edward! I'm almost fifty! You can't keep calling me that!"

"That's enough, you two. Now, tell us what's so important." Esme said firmly.

Tiffany and Alexis exchanged smirks. They loved it when Nana pulled 'rank' on their parents.

"Well, Mom, it's Bella's and my wedding anniversary on the twenty-second and I would like to surprise her with a vow renewal ceremony. What do-?"

The rest of his sentence was cut short by the screams that rang out. Edward growled as he covered his ears.

Finally Rosalie called everyone to order, "Okay, listen up! Now, Edward needs to tell us what he is envisaging and we need to make it a reality. Over to you Edward."

Edward looked like a deer in the headlights, fifteen minutes later and his head was spinning as the final plans were made.

He was in awe of the women in his family because each one had a list of their own duties and a time line to work from. Esme had hooked Sue into the call and they received a 'progress report' from her.

Colors, themes, menus had been decided on and planned. The actual venue for the ceremony had been agreed upon and Carlisle and Charlie had been 'volunteered' to conduct the ceremony and to facilitate the exchanging of the vows and rings.

The women decided that the men would all wear cream linen suits with white shirts. Alice was in charge of the outfits for everyone and that would include the Nomads who would be the only 'non family' component of the guest list.

"One last thing: Edward? Have you organized the rings yet?" Alice enquired.

"That it next on my list, Ali. I'm sure that Jerry will be able to do what I have in mind."

"Okay, well that's it. Now Edward, I know that you guys wanted to come down a little earlier, but you are going to have to give us a week to get everything in order and hidden away so that she doesn't suspect anything. When are you going to tell her?" Esme said.

"Well I would like to wait for the morning of the ceremony. I was thinking about taking Bella out for breakfast and perhaps going to a spa for the rest of the day for some couple's treatments. I was going to have her dress ready for when we change into our 'street' clothes and then just asking her."

There was dead silence and Edward fisted his hair in frustration, "Say something! Is that too much? Lex, what do you think? Will Mom hate it?"

"Daddy, (sniff) that's really sweet. (sniff) Mom will love it…."

Edward frowned, "Is something wrong, Sweepea?"

Esme laughed tearfully, "No you silly boy! It's just that it is a romantic gesture."

Alice promised to report back to Edward on the new spa and after a few minutes, they said goodbye.

Edward would receive updates via email, so that Bella's suspicions would not be aroused.

Edward drove home shortly afterwards and when he arrived home, he changed quickly and then joined Bella and Max for a day beside the swimming pool.

Saturday came quickly and after dropping Max at Seth's house for a play date, Bella and Edward drove to their counseling session with Paul.

Once again, Bella had her solo session, before Edward had his and then they joined together for their second couple's session.

Paul smiled as Bella walked into the office and immediately she curled up next to Edward.

"Well, it looks as if the two of you have done some reconnecting this week?"

They both nodded.

"How did the homework go?"

Bella answered first, "I think that we both found it beneficial," she looked at Edward who was nodding in agreement.

"We have ended up sharing our journals a few times this week."

"Have you been able to abstain from sex?"

Bella blushed furiously and Edward answered, "Yes, but hopefully you are lifting that ban!"

Paul chuckled, "How have the exercises in intimacy gone? Bella, would you like to answer?"

Bella took a sip of water as she tried to get past her embarrassment, "Well, it's been great actually. Having Edward touch me deliberately has just reinforced my love and appreciation for him."

"You mentioned the word 'deliberately'. Would you like to elaborate on that? And talk to Edward."

Bella turned to face Edward, "This week, you have seemed to touch me in a deliberate way, I know that I'm not explaining this well, but you haven't touched me out of habit. Every time you kiss me or hold my hand or play with my hair has been a conscious decision and it is almost an intoxicating experience."

Edward smiled as he reached out and gently stroked her jaw. Bella's eyes rolled at his touch.

"I am so aroused, Edward. This week has been amazing; every touch of your hand or your lips has kept me in a constant state of arousal. I know that this won't last, but I am enjoying every minute of it."

They stared into each other's eyes until Paul cleared his throat and then they looked at him almost surprised that he was still in the room.

"Well now, this is great but I want you both to remember that what you are experiencing is that 'Honeymoon' phase and that Bella is right and it will pass,"

"But…"

"Hang on, Edward. I'm not saying this to be a 'Debbie downer' but you know that this isn't really your lives. Firstly you only have Maxwell at home. Well in a few weeks you are back to 'normal' as the parents of seven children – four of whom still live at home. Nicholas is going off to college and Bella; you are going to have to deal with that again while preparing yourself for Sam's senior year and then it will just be the twins and Max at home, except for holidays and such."

Edward felt Bella's hand tighten around his to the point of pain.

Paul went on, "Your relationship isn't 'magically' fixed, guys. All that you have done is to give yourselves a vital time out to remember what you have together – what you are together and how amazing your relationship can be – if you work on it."

Over the rest of the hour they talked about how they would keep growing as a couple and he encouraged them to make a one year plan and a five year plan that would list their individual goals and their aspirations and goals as a couple and as a family.

With twenty minutes to go, Paul brought up the one topic that they had not touched on, "Now, before I let you guys get on with your weekend, there is one thing that we haven't talked about and that is your D/s relationship."

Edward took a deep breath while Bella squirmed in her seat.

Paul looked down at his notes quickly, "Have you been back into the playroom?"

"No," Edward answered quietly.

"Have you collared Bella at all?"

Edward shook his head in the negative.

Paul pursed his lips, "Can I ask you why not?"

Edward frowned, "With everything that has happened it doesn't seem like an appropriate time right now, Paul. Surely we need to get our marriage relationship sorted before we venture into that?"

Edward didn't understand what Paul was getting at. After talking with Garrett, Edward had decided to take some time to discover what he wanted out of a D/s relationship with Bella. He just didn't feel that their former relationship, with all his rules and procedures was what either of them wanted or needed anymore.

Edward became aware that Paul was talking to Bella.

"…and have you discussed your needs with Edward?"

Edward looked at his wife and he noticed that she was looking at the floor and chewing on her lip as she compiled an answer. He wanted to ask Paul to repeat his question, but something stopped him from interrupting Bella's train of thought.

Bella sat back and wiped her hands on the legs of her jeans. She was nervous because in the past week they hadn't discussed their alternative lifestyle because they had spent their time making out, heavy petting and just reconnecting with each other! Bella was embarrassed to admit this to Paul, but she definitely didn't regret the making out or heavy petting!

"Um, we haven't really spoken about going back into the playroom, but I know that we need to do that soon." She said quietly.

Paul looked from one to the other, "Okay, well, I can see that this is something that has to be addressed immediately."

Paul saw the couple begin to fidget and he decided to put them out of their discomfort.

He stood up, "Come on," he said as he stood up and picked up his wallet and keys after locking his notes away in his filing cabinet.

"Where are we going?" Bella asked in a high pitched voice as she clutched Edward's hand.

Paul watched as Edward put his arm around Bella's waist and pulled her into his side. He leaned down and kissed the side of Bella's head before he whispered something in her ear.

Paul couldn't hear what he said, but whatever it but whatever it worked.

Bella took a deep breath before she looked into Edward's eyes and gave him a nod.

"Let's go." Paul urged.

He led them out of his offices and down a pathway where he punched a code into a hidden panel and opened a heavy wooden gate.

Bella looked around, "Wow, this is beautiful!"

Paul smiled, "Thanks, Emily and I love to spend time in our garden. I guess you could say that our cats and gardens are our babies."

Paul and Emily had chosen not to have children and neither regretted their decision. Paul walked around the single story, ultra modern home that was all glass, black steel and wood to a beautiful room in the back of the landscaped garden that was half hidden.

"This is our meditation room and a great place for a quiet chat. Take your shoes off and come inside." Paul said as he put his shoes on the wooden deck.

Bella looked around. The room was simple and sleek, she saw a door off the main room but otherwise the room was sparkly furnished.

There was a fireplace at one end of the room where two sofas were positioned facing each other. The rest of the room was bare except for a stone statue and a large rug.

Paul sat on one sofa and Bella and Edward sat down facing him.

"Okay, in here we are not doctor and patients but fellow Doms and sub. This space is a completely private and free space and I want you to be honest with me and with each other, is that clear?"

Edward and Bella nodded.

"Good. Bella, Edward, I know that in-between having your children; you used to have a healthy and active D/s relationship. Am I right?"

"That's right." Edward answered while Bella nodded.

"Okay, so Bella, do you know what you want from that lifestyle now? Do you still want to be a submissive?"

Bella stole a quick glance at Edward and she was relieved to see that he was eager for her answer.

"Yes, I think that I know what I want from BDSM and I need to be a submissive."

Paul looked at Edward, "Edward? Same question."

Edward took a deep breath, "Well, um, we have only touched on the subject but I know that I am a Dominant and although I've locked that part of me away for a long time, it is who I am. As for what I want, well, to be honest, I need to give that some thought. Bella is the perfect submissive for me, but I'm not sure about the rest of it."

Edward felt Bella tense next to him and without giving it a thought he put his hand on her leg to calm her.

"Baby, I just feel as if I am past the phase of wanting you to kneel at my feet or keep your gaze lowered at all times, or have us in D/s mode at set times. I am past the bullshit trappings of BDSM with the play parties and the public humiliation and public sex etcetera. I want to explore the deeper side of this lifestyle with you."

Edward looked at Bella, "I love you and it would thrill me beyond belief to be your Master but I don't want the bullshit. If we want to play with toys or implements, we can do that, but I love your submission to me in everyday life. It's just not all about sex anymore."

He looked across at Paul, "Is this making any sense to you?"

Paul nodded slowly, "It makes perfect sense, Edward. You have matured as a Dominant and while you are both very sexual people and I have no doubt that you will continue to dominate in that area, you are looking past what the world sees as BDSM. The whips, handcuffs, leather masks are just 'trimmings on the tree' if you will, what truly sets you apart is what is inside of you."

Paul noticed that Bella had not said anything and when he looked at her, he noticed that she looked glassy eyed.

"Bella, are you okay?"

Bella nodded.

Paul looked over Edward's shoulder and he smiled, "There's Emily. Please excuse me for a moment; I'm going to arrange for some refreshments. Would you like a beer or a glass of wine?"

"I wouldn't mind a beer if you have it."

"Um, just a wine and soda water, please."

The silence hung around them after Paul left until Edward decided to break it. He was nervous because he had no idea what Bella was going to say to him.

"Please tell me what you are thinking, Baby Girl."

Bella let out a shaky breath, "I didn't know that you felt that way. How long have you felt like this?"

Edward slipped from his seat and knelt in front of Bella. He took her hands in his as he gazed into her expressive eyes.

"Bella, I didn't know that I felt this way until Paul asked the question. I mean, I loved the way we were before, but that's not us anymore. I'm not saying that we will never 'play' again. I just don't want that to be the focus of our D/s time. I don't want you to put yourself below me. I love you and you are my equal and your submission to me is a precious gift that I never want to take for granted. Can we work this out?"

Bella looked at the breathtakingly handsome face that she loved so much. Over the years, Edward had matured and if possible he had grown even better-looking, but it was the light in his deep green eyes that arrested Bella's heart. She saw love and a hint of fear.

Was he afraid that she would reject him? The thought was almost laughable. She needed him as much as she needed air.

Bella put her hand out and ran her fingers through his wild hair. She smiled at the where the burnt bronze was fading to a fine silver.

She looked down at him and smiled, "Edward, as long as we keep talking, we can work anything out. I only ever want to take this journey with you…" her eyes sparkled mischievously, "_Sir_."

Edward laughed loudly, "Bella, Bella, I didn't say that I was going to put the paddle away, did I?" he teased and Bella blushed furiously as she giggled.

"Well, that's good news!"

Edward's mouth popped open and Bella laughed harder.

Paul walked in to find Edward sitting on the floor at Bella's feet while Bella combed her hands through his hair as they whispered to each other and exchanged a kiss.

Paul cleared his throat and put the tray that he was carrying onto a low table.

"Have you resolved anything or are you just making out like teenagers?"

Edward and Bella laughed as they pressed their foreheads together before Edward got up with a grimace as he grumbled about his 'old knees'.

Bella snorted, "There is nothing 'old' about your knees or any other parts of your anatomy, Mister, take it from me."

Paul laughed, "Well it seems that you have had a talk that went very well. Wait, you did talk, right?"

Edward nodded as he raised his beer in salute, "Yes Paul, we talked." He looked at Bella, "And I think that it went very well."

Bella nodded as she picked up her glass and tapped the side to Edward's beer bottle, "It went very well indeed."

"Well, that's great but now, you still have some things to work out, so I would like to give you some homework." Edward face palmed and Bella groaned while Paul chuckled, "You are both such fine examples to your offspring, but luckily, I think that you are going to enjoy this homework."

He paused until Bella threatened to toss her half empty glass at him, "So, this week… you are clear to take your intimacy to the next level – if you want to." The looks on the couples faces was enough to make Paul want to 'hunt' Emily down and make love to her with complete abandon.

"Hang on," he said as Edward almost jumped to his feet, "sit down again, Don Juan." Edward sat down with a pout. Bella licked her lips as she gave him a sidelong glance. Fuck, he was so damn sexy! She wondered if they could get away with a quick fuck in the car…

"Isabella!"

Bella jumped as Paul called her name. "Y-yes?"

Paul just shook his head and ignored the guilty look on her face and Edward's smirk. "Besides that," he waved his hand as Edward's grin broadened, "I want you to write down five ideas each of how you are going to keep your relationship on track. This can be a small gesture, like making your partner lunch, or sending a text in the middle of the day to something grand and extravagant, like a breakaway weekend for the two of you or playing hooky for a day."

They nodded and Paul was pleased to see that they both looked excited.

"One last thing – Edward, I would like you to initiate some D/s time this week. It doesn't have to end in sex or even be of a sexual nature."

After that they said goodbye and left.

"Would you like to go out to lunch with me?" Edward asked as they pulled away from the clinic.

Bella was staring out of the window but she turned at the sound of his voice and looked at him with excitement.

"Babe; do you trust me?"

Edward nodded, "Of course I do."

"Good!" she said as she pulled out her phone.

*ΩafloΩ*

Four hours later, Edward handed over his black credit card to a man that Seth introduced to them only as "Murphy".

Luckily for Edward and Bella, 'Murphy' was one of the best in the business and he was happy to let Edward and Bella in through the back of his shop into the private room.

Murphy smiled at Edward and his gold tooth shone. Edward reached out and shook his hand. "Lucky that you are both right handed – if there is any trouble, give me a call. Any family of Seth's and all that – give the D.A. '_what up'_ and tell him that I need to do his other shoulder!"

They walked to their car and Edward drove over the Golden Gate Bridge before Bella spoke, "So that is my first gesture."

Edward looked at her, "And mine!"

Bella nodded, "Okay, yes, and yours. You didn't feel pressured to do it, did you?"

Edward shook his head and held out his right hand and Bella took it, "It is one of the most touching things that you have ever done for me, Baby and I wanted to show you that I meant it as well."

"I promise to never let you go." Edward said as they lay in bed, sated and replenished.

Bella gave a half giggle, "I promise to hog tie you if you ever try to get away from me!"

"This is my new favorite game." Edward said.

"Hmm, mine as well. Max wasn't very happy when he realized that they were not stick on tattoos."

Edward laughed and he pulled her closer to his side, "Sleep tight baby girl."

"Promise," Bella replied.

Bella grinned sleepily as she looked down at her left wrist that was covered with a piece of surgical plaster. She could just see the word that was tattooed there – it matched the word that Edward had tattooed on the side of his left hand, except that hers began with a 'small' letter as opposed to the 'capital' letter that Edward's began with. The intention of the word was clear to both of them when Bella had looked at Edward in Murphy's tattoo parlor.

"Edward, I want to do this to remind myself and you that I have promised to never hide from you again". Edward had looked at what Murphy had designed and he nodded, "Hey, Murphy, can you do something like that for me? Because Bella, I promise to never assume that I can make decisions for us without consulting you first."

The word that they chose was '_**promise**_'.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: Well, what do you think? Things are looking up for our favorite couple and in the next chapter there will be a D/s session! And some good, old fashioned lemony goodness.**

**Thank you so much to everyone who is reading this story. I must apologize for not updating sooner, but I sliced my thumb open a week ago and seven stitches later, I was in no state to type or write, please forgive me.**

**Till next time,**

**Michele**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 8**

Esme sat at the kitchen island as she checked the final catering order for Edward and Bella's vow renewal on her laptop. She wondered how far Alice and Tiffany were in completing Bella's dress. Tiffany Anne was going into her junior year at college and she would be leaving in the fall to begin an exchange year at the London School of Fashion Design. Tiffany was extremely talented and had been chosen from over fifty thousand applicants to attend the prestigious school and Alice had been happy to leave the actual design of the dress to her.

At first Alice had the idea to design and sew all of the dresses, but when Jasper realized that they would have to design and sew ten dresses for the women and five for the children, he had put his foot down and insisted that Alice only make Bella's dress and that she shop instead for the rest, including the men's outfits.

Alice had pouted for about five minutes until Jasper had smiled at the family who were gathered in the sitting room before he looked at his wife, "_Mary Alice_, could I talk to you in private please?"

Alice's head had shot up at the sound of her husband's voice and Esme had almost laughed as she scuttled out of the room with Jasper close behind her.

The urge to laugh had died as Carlisle had remarked with a glint in his eyes as he gave Esme a pointed look, "I think that what Jasper is 'explaining' to Alice is that there is no reason to kill yourselves for the next two weeks doing stuff that can be arranged or done by someone else."

Esme had received his unspoken message clearly and she had nodded and given him a weak smile. Only an hour prior, she had been insisting indignantly that she would be able to cook for sixteen adults, eleven young adults (nine of whom were growing men!) and six children, until Carlisle had effectively silenced her arguments when he tapped her bottom playfully.

Alice had returned to the sitting room about forty minutes later and Esme had noticed that she politely refused to sit down, but rather stood to one side as she arranged with Tiffany Ann, Alexis and herself to fly to Los Angeles the next morning.

They had spoken to Sue, Kate, Rosalie, Jesse and Emily, because Edward had invited her and Paul to join them for the weekend.

A whirlwind trip to L.A. and a sizable dent in Jasper's credit card and all the outfits had been purchased, including a basket full of beach thongs in blue, green and white for guests to slip on for the ceremony on the beach.

The girls had all decided on a 'beach blue' theme and so all the women would be dressed in various shades of blue. Everyone had given their dress size and preference for either a formal dress, or a more casual outfit.

Photos of the dresses were sent to everyone before the outfits were steamed and packed away in Alice and Jasper's home.

The men's and children's suits were perfect in a soft camel color linen with fresh white cotton dress shirts and each man would provide his own shoes.

Alexis and Esme were going to be in charge of the décor and in keeping with the color theme; they scoured décor stores close by to find just the right table dressings, candles, and accessories to complete the day.

Esme had also found a wonderful baker and cake decorator and the cake was ordered and paid for.

Edward and Bella would be arriving with Max the day before and everything would be hidden away until Bella and Edward had left for the day.

Jared had come up with the suggestion that everything be stored in the games room as it had easy access to the garden and the beach.

Jackson, Chris, Nicholas, Jared, Daniel, Joshua, McCarthy were organizing the music and Christopher who was a talented DJ, had promised that he would be able to incorporate some 'oldies' music as well. Nicholas had gotten onto the phone with Aro to organize a special surprise for Edward and Bella from their children. Only Samuel had remained stoic and noncommittal regarding the upcoming celebrations.

Carlisle had threatened them to 'keep it clean' as there would be children present and then he reminded everyone that there would be no underage drinking.

Esme could not believe that time had flown by so quickly and it was now just a week away from the vow renewal.

She and Carlisle were leaving the following morning to collect the girls from their camp and Emmett and Rosalie were going to be meeting Sam, Daniel and McCarthy's flight and bringing them to the compound the day after.

Esme loved how large and chaotic her family was. She and Carlisle could not wish for a more fulfilling life than the one that they shared with their children, grandchildren and extended family. Charlie and Sue had become two of their closest friends and Esme and Sue behaved more like sisters than friends. Subsequently, Seth, Jesse and their kids were treated just the same as her own kids and grandbabies and Casey and Isabella called them Nana and Papa, just the same as the other grandchildren.

"What has you looking so smug, my Darling?" Carlisle said as he walked into the kitchen.

Esme grinned up at him, "I'm just thinking that we are going to have a house full in the next few days and only Paul and Emily are not 'family' as such. We are either related to or have 'adopted' the rest of them and I couldn't be happier!"

Carlisle chuckled, "I know you are, my little 'Earth Mother', but I don't want you over taxing yourself over the next week or so, okay?"

When Esme began to protest, Carlisle pulled back slightly and gave her a stern look, "Esme, this is Edward's show, now you have to let him run it. You have done more than enough and there are plenty of people here to see to the finer details. The girls are quite capable to do this and they know where you are if they run into any trouble. I want to spend some alone time with you as well."

Esme sigh. She knew that she had been neglecting Carlisle for the past week, but that had been because there was so much to do and if she was completely honest, it had been a while since there was a family function that wasn't a graduation party or a birthday party.

Esme stood up and put her arms around Carlisle's neck, "You are right, babe. I'm sorry. Lexi is quite capable of seeing overseeing everything. She is so talented. Why don't we take off for a couple of days after we fetch the girls tomorrow?"

Carlisle kissed the side of her neck, "Hmmm, really? Just you and I?"

Esme hummed as she moved her hair so that Carlisle had better access, "Yesss, oh that's good, yep, just the two of us. We can… oh honey… we can go up to the Ritz near North Star?"

Carlisle pulled his phone out of his pocket so quickly that Esme was shocked when she opened her eyes and he was across the room, talking to someone.

He quickly wrote something down on a slip of paper and redialed.

"Carlisle, who" he held up one finger.

"Hi, yes, I would like to book a suite for two nights for the… hold on," he looked at the calendar on Esme's computer before he spoke again, "that will be for the seventeenth and eighteenth… yes that's correct. You can? Fantastic! The name? Doctor and Mrs. Carlisle Cullen, my card details are …"

Esme had stopped listen as she laughed softly. Her husband must really need some one-on-one time if he was so eager to get away. She went in search of her granddaughters to see what they were up to.

Carlisle put the phone down and looked around the empty kitchen. He could not wait to get Esme alone! It seemed like months, not weeks since they had been completely alone and he missed the freedom of just having each other around.

They had moved into their home about fifteen years before and they loved the smaller, more private house. There were only two bedrooms, a large office that Carlisle and Esme shared and of course, their playroom which was really just another walk in closet that was off their bedroom.

Over the years, Carlisle and Esme had modified their D/s time and these days 'playtime' involved a pair of handcuffs, a flogger, whip or paddle and sometimes a butt plug and a vibrator.

Their relationship had strengthened over the years and although age had caused them to modify some of their activities, they were far from needing walkers!

*ΩafloΩ*

Daniel was sprawled across his bed as he watched his cousin and best friend, Sam Cullen, 'pack' his bag. He used the term 'pack' lightly because the way that Sam was flinging his clothes into the leather suitcase was nothing like packing and Sam was usually quite anal about his things being packed and in their proper place, but ever since Jack and Nicholas had contacted Sam with the news that Uncle Edward was asking Aunt Bella to renew their vows on their wedding anniversary, Samuel had been in a foul mood.

"Sam, I still don't get why you are so pissed with your father. Uncle E is cool! I mean I know that he has been gone a lot lately, but that's for work man! My dad has also been working all sorts of crazy hours and my mom threw a fit about it last month." Daniel tried to make him see reason.

Sam glared at his cousin, "Don't you dare fucking take his side, Dan! My 'father' has taken more and more jobs away from home in the past year and even when he is home, it's as if he and my mom are on two separate planets! He didn't have to hear her crying when she thought that no one was listening while he sat in his music room acting all emo and shit! He doesn't give a rats ass about anyone but himself!" he sneered.

Sam stopped what he was doing and looked at Daniel, his green eyes almost black with indignation and fury, "The great Edward, Fucking Cullen, mister high and mighty who can't even spend a month with his family without running away!" He turned was suddenly and Daniel pretended not to notice the angry tears that he wiped away quickly before he went back to shoving things into his case.

Daniel shook his head in sympathy. Sam wasn't a talker and although he was closer to his cousin than anyone else because they were only a couple of months apart in age, he had not known the anguish that he was going through.

"I'm sorry bro'. You should have told me or spoken to my mom or dad. You know that there is no way they would have allowed that shit to carry on."

Sam sighed, "I know and I should have done something but I didn't know what to do. She never talks about what is wrong, Dan. She puts on this brave face and she defends him anytime one of us says something! She is so blind to him, it's sickening!"

Daniel sat up with a frown, "Hey Sam, calm down Cuz. Your dad isn't a bad person and my mom always says that it takes two people to be in a relationship. It sounds to me as if they have both been avoiding shit and it's not fair that you are in the middle, but it really isn't any of your business. If they want to renew their vows then you need to let them do that. If you want to, then talk to your mom and find out her feelings but don't interfere and cause even more trouble between them!"

Sam's face was red with anger, "I knew that you would never understand! This is why I didn't tell you, Daniel! Your mother is a hyped up pixie and your father is all Zen and shit! You all have this 'perfect' life! What the fuck do you know about having six fucking siblings, half of whom are under ten?"

Sam disappeared into the adjoining bathroom and Daniel could hear him throwing things into his toiletries bag.

Danny walked out of the room that they had shared for the past four weeks as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed a button.

"_Hey kid, how's the last day going?"_

Dan smiled at the sound of his father's voice.

"_Hi Dad, listen we have a situation here with Sam…"_

At Lake Tahoe, Jasper listened as Danny gave him a quick rundown of their 'discussion'.

"_He is really upset Dad and that's what's so strange because Uncle E has always been a great dad – well I always thought so, I mean he usually comes to everyone's games and he is always at the schools for some fundraising thing or whatever and he never complains, so I just don't get it."_

Jasper sighed, "Yeah, but both him and I have been working way too much and you know that your mom read me the riot act about it as well. Look, just try and encourage him to talk to his parents and I will have a chat to Uncle Edward. I promise that I won't betray your confidence but I think that he needs to know that things are not all HEA here."

"_HEA? What the hell is 'H.E.A'?"_

Jasper chuckled, "It's from those stupid Fanfic stories that your sister and cousin always read and then they discuss them ad nausea on the phone and Tiffany often says, 'Is it HEA?' Well I found out that it stands for 'Happy Ever After.' Apparently your sister does not subscribe to any story that doesn't end happily."

"_Dad, forgive me for saying this but I find it disturbing how much you know about this stuff! You need to get your man-card back from Mom!"_

Jasper joined Daniel's laughter that time, "Yeah, you keep saying that Kid, just wait until you fall in love: that is the first thing to go."

They said goodbye and Jasper sat looking out across the lake. It was another perfect summer day and he gave a sigh before he dialed Edward's number.

"Hey Edward, can you talk?"

"_Yep, Bella's taken Max to play with Casey and Isabelle and I'm actually doing some research online and taking things easy. What's up Jasper?"_

"Well, everything is set from our side. Alexis and Tiffany have been a great help. Bella's dress is almost finished and all the décor has been delivered. Are you getting excited?"

"_You won't believe this, but I think that I'm more nervous now than I was on our actual wedding day! I really hope that this is what she wants and that I haven't blown it completely. What do you think, should I tell her?"_

Jasper hadn't heard Edward so unsure in a while.

"I'm sure that she will be thrilled with the gesture, but if you are really worried, why don't you ask her and then you can still keep all the details a surprise but she will have a heads up and that way she won't feel overwhelmed."

"_Now that sounds like a great idea, I must admit that I have been worried because I know how she hates surprises. I'll ask her tonight we have a date night."_

"How are things going?"

"_Jazz, I've fallen in love with this woman all over again. The last two weeks have been great. I feel like a fifteen year old on his first date. We have spent hours about everything and nothing and we have been on more dates than I think we have had in the last ten years!"_

Edward let out a chuckle, _"Listen to me – I sound like our kids!"_ He sounded embarrassed and Jasper joined in his laughter.

Edward's voice grew serious, "_I had forgotten just how enchanting Bella is, Jasper and that is the saddest part of this. How did I forget how funny, smart, beautiful, thoughtful, kind and just amazing she is? I can't believe that I was that selfish or blind."_

"Hey E? You have to let this go, man. You can't hate yourself for what happened. It's over and it's in the past – you have to learn from it and move on."

"_You're right, Paul said the same thing. I guess that it'll take some time."_

"Have you been back into the playroom?"

"_Not yet, Bella and I are re-looking at our limits and expectations and we are doing a re-evaluation of what we want from a D/s relationship. We are going to schedule sometime this week and see where things go from there."_

"That's great, bro. It's good that you and Bella are closer."

Jasper heard the tension in Edward's voice as he picked up on what Jasper had just said.

"_Why do you say that? What's going on, Jazz?"_

"Listen, Edward, I'm not sure how to say this so I'm just going to say it. You need to have some serious one-on-one time with Samuel."

There was a moment of silence and then Edward spoke.

"_First Jack and Nicholas and now Sam, what the fuck are trying to tell me Jasper? What is going on? Just fucking spit it out!"_

"Ed, this is not my story to tell but I have had a chat with Jack and Nicholas, and they will be talking to you when you get here, but Sam, well, it's not my story either, but I can tell you that I think that he has been carrying a rather heavy load on the home front and I think that he may have some resentment because of it."

All the fight went out of Edward as he listened to his brother in law's words. Once again, he had failed one of his most precious gifts – his child.

"_God, Jasper, I have really fucked this up, haven't I? I should have known that the kids were not oblivious! Sam is so close to Bella; of course he would see how much I have been at fault! How can I renew my vows to their mother when I don't have relationships with my children?"_

Jasper could just imagine how Edward was going to beat himself up over this and he wondered if he should have waited to speak to him, but on the other hand, if it was him and his children, he would want to know.

"_They get in the day after tomorrow right?"_

"Yes, just before noon. I'm going to the airport to fetch them."

There was a long moment of silence, "_Okay, listen I need to go. I need to speak to Bella. We will phone you later."_

"Edward, you aren't perfect, you know. We all make mistakes." Jasper said quietly.

"_Thanks Jasper, but I'm only just realizing just how far from 'perfect' I really am."_

The line went dead and Jasper cursed under his breath. He hoped that he had not ruined what should be a great day for Edward and Bella.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella had just secured Max into his car seat when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw that it was Edward.

"Hey Baby," she said.

"_Hi, are you on your way home?"_

Bella frowned at Edward's serious voice.

"Yes we are, why? Is something wrong?"

Edward hesitated for a moment, "_I have screwed up again and I need to talk to you, but I don't want it to affect our date and I know that it's selfish of me, but"_

"Hey, slow down. Now I'm sure that you haven't screwed up since I saw you four hours ago and I am sure that it's not as serious as you think it is, but we can talk as soon as we have had lunch and Max is down for his afternoon sleep. How does that sound?"

"_Thank you, Baby Girl."_

"I love you and I will see you in about twenty minutes."

Edward gave a sigh of relief, _"I love you too. I have started lunch, so it should be ready when you get home."_

As Bella drove home she thought about the past week and how hers and Edward's relationship was growing stronger every day. Of course it wasn't easy and there had been a few disagreements along the way, but the more that they spoke to each other and shared their feelings and thoughts, the closer they got and the stronger their feelings for each other became.

Bella had not felt such depth of emotions for Edward in a long time and she loved every moment of it! Just the thought of going home and knowing that he was there waiting for her, was enough to get her head spinning.

When Bella pulled up to the garage door, Edward was waiting for her. He opened the back door and took Max out of his seat.

"How was your morning, Max?" he said as he hugged him and kissed his hair.

"Daddy, we had such fun! We buided a fort and Case didn't want to let Izzy play wif us but I said, 'No, Casey, we must play with her – the paw girl!"

Edward's eyes met Bella's amused smiled over the top of the car and he winked at her before he turned back to his son, "The poor girl? Now what makes you say that, Son?"

Max sighed as if he was exasperated, "Daddy, I told you – she don't got fwiends and I'm her fwiend and I told that to Case. And Nana says 'oh the paw daaaling' all the time!"

Edward saw Bella hide her smile behind her hair and he made a show of trying to smooth Max's wild mop of hair out of his eyes as he smothered his own smile.

"Well, Buddy, I think that you are the world's best friend and you are right: Nana does say that all the time. Now, can you go and wash your hands? Lunch is ready."

Max hugged Edward and planted a sloppy kiss on his cheek before he wiggled down and ran to wash his hands.

Edward walked around the car to where Bella was standing and he pulled her into his arms, "That kid is going to charm all the birds from the trees one day." He said.

Bella nodded, "He is like his daddy." She teased as she reached up and kissed Edward's chin.

He captured her face in one hand and lowered his head to return the kiss.

"Moooommmy!" Max shouted from inside.

Bella stepped back, "Hold that thought Sparky. Let's go and have some lunch. What did you make?"

"We are having chicken and waldorf salad and chicken nuggets with vegetable rounds for Max."

Bella grinned at him, "Good job, honey!"

And she laughed when she saw his ears turn pink.

The three sat around the kitchen table, and the adults mainly listened to Max talking about the activity day camp that he went to and what they were doing the next morning.

By two o'clock, Max was fading fast and Edward carried him up to his bedroom so that he and Bella could talk.

Edward could feel Max's tension as they approached his bedroom.

After taking the tour of the security complex, Maxwell's' anxiety had lessened…

"_So Maxwell, do you see all of these televisions on the wall?" Marcus pointed to the monitors._

_Max nodded but he still held Edward's neck tightly._

"_Good, now take a look and tell me what you see."_

_Max leaned forward slightly without releasing Edward, "Ummmmm that's, that's Hey! That's Max's house! Daddy! Look, Daddy! Therw is our house! Momma, look!"_

"_Sh, Max, inside voice." Bella admonished gently but Marcus shook his head, "It's quite alright Mrs. Cullen; it's very clever of Max to recognize his own house. Now Max, what it that?"_

_After a moment Max grinned, "That's Daddy and Mommy's cars and Jack's Twuck and Nicky's bike!" he said pointing to the garage._

_Marcus nodded again, "Very good, now, I want you to see this – look."_

_Maxwell gasped, "My woom!"_

"_Well, that is the hallway outside your bedroom and those are the other hallways and there are the gardens and even your play area!"_

"_No baddies can come in my woom, hey Daddy?" Max asked._

_Edward nodded, "Remember what we said: if anyone opens your window, then a very loud alarm will sound."_

_Max's eyes were huge as he stared from the monitors to Marcus, "Mistaw Marcus, can you look after the hawses as well and my pony?"_

_Marcus leaned down so that he was eye to eye with the little boy, "Maxwell, I promise you that we will do everything that we can to make sure that nothing happens to you or your mommy and daddy or your brothers and sisters. That is why we are here – to keep you and the horses safe."_

_Max glanced over at the screens that showed the roads leading to the houses, as well as the stables and outhouses and he let out a sigh of relief, "Okay Mistaw Marcus."_

_Marcus smiled, "Now, I want to give you a very special present if it's okay with your mommy and daddy?"_

_Edward nodded. Following an open discussion with Emmett and Anderson regarding the families personal security, Jasper, Alice, Edward, Bella, Rosalie and Emmett had decided to have state of the art jewelry commissioned that was virtually indestructible and that was worth a large luxury car but that would go a long way to ensure each person's safety._

_Marcus looked at Edward and Bella and held out what looked like a small steel linked bracelet that could be expanded as Max grew that was engraved with the Cullen crest._

"_This has a GPS tracking chip fitted inside that will not be detected by any scan or x-ray machine. It works much like the cars and cell phones. The signal is accurate to within twenty feet and can be tracked via satellite so that should there be an 'event', we will be able to pinpoint this to a climbing frame distance. It can be activated at the push of a button." Levi, the other security person on duty explained quietly to Bella and Edward._

_Max clapped his hands, "Is that for me?"_

_Bella nodded, "That is just for you Max. Daddy and I want to give all of you special bracelets and we will also have the same. See here? This is the Cullen family crest and because you are a Cullen, you get to wear this. You can wear it in the bath or the swimming pool or at school or to bed. It is very, very special and you mustn't take it off, okay?"_

_Max nodded, "Okay Mommy. Will you be sad if I take it off?"_

_Bella nodded, "I will be very, very sad so can you promise that you won't take it off – or give it to anyone? Ever?"_

_Max stared at the bracelet on his arm, "I promise, Mommy. I don't want you to be sad any more. You smile now, hey Mommy?"_

"_I do, my love. You and Daddy make me smile even though I miss everyone else, but we will see them soon."_

"_I love you Momma."_

"_Oh Maxwell, I love you too." Bella said as she put her arms around her baby and hugged him tightly._

_Edward stepped forward and pulled Bella and Max into his arms, "I love you so much." He whispered in Bella's ear._

"Daddy?" Edward was brought back to the present by his son's voice.

"Yes, Buddy?"

"Aw you going to stay here wif me?" Max asked even as his eyelids drooped and he clutched his fluffy cow to his chest.

"I think that Mommy would like to have a nap as well, so we will be down the hall in our room. We have our secret phones right?"

Max nodded as he reached up and patted the baby monitor.

"Now, get some sleep Honey." He leaned over and kissed Max's forehead. "You are safe, Maxwell." This had become his and Bella's mantra over the past week or so.

Max was asleep by the time that Edward walked out of his room.

Edward fetched the baby monitor and he put it into his pocket before he made his way downstairs.

Bella was sitting outside on the double lounger. Bella moved over and Edward pulled her into his arms and kissed her hungrily.

"Hmm, that was nice," Bella panted when they pulled apart, "I'm not sure what I did to deserve such a warm 'welcome' but hell, I'm not complaining." She teased as she pushed her hands through Edward's hair and searched his face. When she saw the tension in his eyes, she brushed her thumbs across his cheeks tenderly, "What's got you so riled up?"

Edward sighed and he rolled over and lay staring up at the porch ceiling as he gathered his thought.

"I spoke to Jasper earlier on and he seems to think that Sam is really pissed with me because of the way that I've treated you and I'm beginning to realize just how this rift between us has affected our children."

He sat up and propped his elbows onto his knees before he covered his face with his hands.

Bella frowned as she knelt behind him. She could feel his shoulders shake as she slid her hands around his neck from behind.

"Edward, listen to me: You are not the only one at fault here. I have been selfish as well because it became too easy to lean on the kids, especially Sam and Nick to a lesser degree. I think that we should head up to the lake a little sooner than we planned and we need to have a very honest discussion with our children. The older four are young adults and they have formed their own opinions but those opinions are very biased, Love."

She pressed a soft kiss to his ear, "Sam has always been a 'momma's boy' and you know that. From when his was little, he would come to me rather than you. While you were rough-housing with Nick, Jack and even Lexi, Sam would either watch you or he would play and then come running to me if he got hurt. Unfortunately, I should have set him straight when you were away and I didn't and that is my fault, but we can fix this."

Edward didn't say anything but he listened to what Bella had said. He loved all of his children, but he had always known that while Samuel loved him, he adored Bella. Jackson and Nicholas had more of his temperament and personality and they got along really well, while Sam was artistic and quiet and he gravitated to Bella constantly and rather than force him to spend time with Edward, they had allowed him to spend time with her painting and learning about photography. _Hell_, he thought, _they still seemed to compete for her attention!_

Bella moved to kneel in front of him and she took his hands away from his face. It hurt her to see that his eyes were red rimmed, his thick black lashes wet.

"Oh baby, I know that you are going to try to take the blame, but remember that we are passed that now. We owe our children an apology but they also need to know that this is our relationship and that it is our choice to work at our marriage and to be stronger than ever. I love you, Edward. You are my first priority. I love our children with all of my heart, but you come first and you always will. That is the only way that this is going to work. If we begin to try to please everyone else, we are going to neglect each other and I won't accept that again. So, are you with me?"

Edward felt himself smiling as he looked at Bella, "How did you get so smart?"

Bella winked at him, "I have always been very smart."

Edward's face grew serious, "Yes, you have my Love. What if he won't forgive me?"

Bella shook her head gently, "Edward; your children love you so much. Samuel is just being a typically hard assed teenager and although I am touched that he would blindly defend me; he needs to learn that I have feet of clay as well. I'm not perfect and he can't go through life thinking that I am, because he is going to get very disillusioned."

Edward turned his face and kissed the palm of her hand, "Thank you."

Bella sat back on the ground in front of him, "So, are you ready for our date tonight?"

Edward nodded, "Are Sue and Charlie okay with taking Max?"

"Oh they are looking forward to it. Sue was saying that it has been too quiet around the house because Charlie has been volunteering at the Sherriff's department because Deputy Stu is on maternity leave with his wife and someone was out with measles or something."

She rolled her eyes, "Apparently Charlie has been having a grand old time because he has been riding on patrols."

Edward chuckled, "Well, he still has his 'stash, so he's all good."

"Sue asked to keep Max overnight even though I explained that he has been really clingy lately but she suggested that having Dad playing 'cop' might help him to feel more secure. I wish I knew what was scaring him. Normally he can't keep a secret longer than five minutes and that's with a bribe, but he just won't open up."

"Baby, we have upped our security, Max is wearing his tracker bracelet and Anderson had one put into Mooki as well, so whatever happened, we can only keep reassuring him and hopefully in time he will open up to us."

"I hope so, I just feel so helpless."

"I know Love, why don't we take the horses out this afternoon? We can go down to the creek for a bit. Max and I can troll for tadpoles."

Bella smiled "I'll take the book that Kate suggested, _'True Submission'_."

"How far are you with your list? Have you given it much thought?" Edward was curious because he hadn't noticed Bella working on her list at all.

Bella nodded, "I've finished my list." She looked at him shyly, "Would you like to go over it tonight?"

"That's a good idea. My list is finished as well."

After that they went to change into jeans and T-shirts before Edward went to pack a couple of jars and a net into a backpack while Bella packed a snack, a light blanket, her book and on impulse she picked up her camera.

Max woke up shortly afterwards and Bella noticed that he was not as excited as they thought he would be when they told him that they were going for a horse ride until Edward mentioned that they were going to be with him the entire time.

After saddling the horses and Max's pony they took a slow ride to the bend in the creak where Edward and Max spent the rest of the afternoon wading in the water in their old sneakers and rolled up jeans, catching tadpoles as they became increasing wet and muddy as Bella took tons of swoon worthy photographs of father and son.

Her eyes misted over a few times as she captured a look of wonder on Max's face as Edward pointed something out to him, or excitement when they 'captured' their first tadpole, and the look of complete adoration that lit up Edward's face as he watched Max reach inside the jar with a tentative finger.

Bella leaned back against the willow tree as she sighed in contentment. There had been too few of these moments in the past five years.

Raising seven children, four of whom were twins was not easy and so much of their time had been swallowed up with soccer practices, piano recitals, ballet lessons, parent-teacher conferences, play dates, work, school, homework – just thinking about it made Bella tired.

She knew that to the outside world they had an idyllic life and most of the time it was pretty wonderful, and sure, one of the biggest stresses in life, money, or lack of it was not an issue, but she and Edward had decided when Jackson, Alexis and Nicholas were still small that they would raise their children to be 'normal, down-to-earth' kids, that received pocket money as a reward for chores done and not as a rite of passage.

The six oldest children had all gone to the small schools of St. Helena Middle School and St. Helena High and they were only allowed to go to Universities where they were accepted because of their grades and not their surname.

If any of them received scholarships, Edward and Bella would not take that away from them, as it was a reward for their achievements, but they donated an equal amount of money to a scholarship applicant that would not have the money to attend school without it.

Bella wondered as she watched Max throw back his head in caucus laughter as Edward held him on his shoulders and splashed in the water, whether they had raised or were raising their children correctly.

It broke her heart to think that Sam and Edward could be at odds with each other – over her and she thought of ways to help close that gap. One of the things that she needed to do was to have a talk to her older children and she needed to apologize to them for leaning on them when she should have put more pressure on Edward to face up to his responsibilities.

Bella took a calming breath, it was not going to do any of them any good if she and Edward kept blaming themselves – they needed to acknowledge that they had screwed up, ask forgiveness and then move forward.

Max leaned down and wrapped his podgy hands around Edward's neck so that he was looking into his father's face upside down.

Edward pulled a funny face, causing Max and Bella to giggle hopelessly.

"You're so silly, Daddy!" Max squealed as Edward swung him down and carried him to where Bella had put their towels over a branch to get warm.

"I am?" Edward said with mock surprise and outrage.

Max nodded before his little face grew serious, "I love you Daddy."

Edward was about to dry his legs when he looked into Max's eyes and he saw a sadness that caused his heart to ache.

"I love you Maxwell, always and forever. Remember what I tell Mommy?"

Max's face cleared as he smiled, "To affinity and yonder?"

Edward smiled, "That's right: To infinity and beyond and that is how much I love all of you."

Max grinned, "Even Nicky's 'Oopsie'?" His green eyes danced with glee at being able to talk about 'potty' habits. His enthusiasm for the subject was typical for an almost four year old.

He giggled at his own comment as Bella and Edward burst out laughing.

Nicholas's farts were world renowned, especially after he ate beans!

Edward tapped his chin as if he was thinking about it.

"Daddy?"

Edward smiled and nodded, "I don't love Nick's 'Oopsie', but I love Nicholas even if he makes 'Oopsie', get it?"

Max nodded, satisfied, "Got it! Okay, I'm weddy to eat! Mama, what do we got to eat?"

For once Bella didn't correct his garbled sentence, she just held out his yoghurt, juice and cookies.

When they got home, Bella bathed Max and changed him into a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. He was excited to spend time with his Grumpy and Grandma Sue and soon his bag was packed as he carried Mooki and his prized bag of cars to Bella's car.

Edward made sure to kiss and hug his youngest son, "I love you Buddy. Thanks for having fun with me today." Edward said as he kissed Max's cheek.

Max's arms snaked around his father's neck, "I love you too, Daddy. You are the bestest tadpole buddy in the world!"

Edward gave Bella a quick hug and kiss before he headed upstairs to take a shower and shave his stubble.

Bella was pleased to see that Maxwell was relaxed and she listened to his happy chatter as they drove the short distance to her father and Sue's home.

Charlie was getting out of his truck as they pulled in behind him and he greeted them as he helped Max out of his car seat.

"Hey, look who's all scrubbed clean, my old buddy Max!" Charlie said as he hugged the little boy before greeting Bella.

"Hi Honey, it looks like someone has a good day."

They watched as Max ran up the cobblestone pathway to where Sue was sitting on the front porch swing.

Bella smiled as Max hugged his grandmother and climbed up beside her.

"We had a great afternoon. We went for a ride to the creek and the boys caught tadpoles." Bella said with a shiver at the thought of the slimy, wiggling creatures.

Charlie laughed at her reaction, "You would think that with four boys, you would have a thicker skin."

Bella shook her head, "With thirteen years between Sam and Max, it was almost like having a first baby all over again, especially with Elizabeth and Andrea in-between."

Bella greeted Sue and they chatted for a few minutes before Maxwell announced quite pointedly that Bella was on 'Max time' and she should go back to his daddy.

Bella kissed the top of his head, "I can take a hint, young man. I will see you tomorrow, okay?"

Max nodded and Bella saw a hint of his previous anxiety. She leaned down, "You remember that Grumpy Charlie is a cop?" Max looked up at Charlie and nodded.

"Well, he is a really good cop, a _sheriff_ and he will never let anything happen to you."

Max bit his bottom lip for a moment, "Okay, Mommy."

"Come on Buddy, you can be my Deputy today. I think that Granma Sue has some sugar cookies and milk for us policemen in the kitchen."

"Sugar cookies, with colored sugar on top?" Max asked as he wrapped his arms around Charlie's neck.

Charlie smiled and twitched his mustache as Max giggled, "Of course!"

With a last hug Bella drove back home. She found Edward in their bedroom, tapping away at his laptop as he sat at the small table.

"Hi Baby, did he get off okay?"

"Oh, he was more than just 'okay'; he practically ordered me off the property!"

Edward chuckled, "That's because he and Charlie didn't want to share one of Sue's amazing cakes that she would have baked for desert!"

Bella snorted, "It was sugar cookies today. What time do we need to leave for our date?"

Edward looked at his watch, "About an hour? We aren't going far."

Bella smiled, "That's more than enough time," she said as she walked towards their dressing room.

Edward forced himself not to race after her and ravish her right there in the dressing room.

They had not yet 'consummated' their new commitment; instead they had decided to wait until they went back into the playroom that night.

Edward was more excited than a teenager on his first date and he stifled a groan as he heard the shower running.

Without giving it much thought, Edward unbuttoned his jeans and pulled his rock hard cock. The image in his head was more arousing than any pornography. He began to stroke himself as his head dropped back again the headrest.

_Bella…wet, naked in the shower. The very large shower that had that amazing seat… the large shower that had enough shower heads to hit all Bella's favorite 'spots'… Bella standing with her head tilted back, allowing the water to run through her thick tresses and pour down over her neck, shoulders, to her breasts… her pert, hard nipples pebbled and ready for his mouth… the water racing over her abdomen, her hips, widened by childbirth, her flat stomach with the faint scars of those childbirths and the tummy tuck that she had after she had given birth to Maxwell. _

Edward stroked harder, his hips rising up to meet his hand as it twisted around the head, gathering the precum as his breath went from heavy breathing to panting.

_The water gathering in the 'v' of her sweet, smooth pussy. The same pussy that had given him hundreds of hours of pleasure over the past twenty-two years…_

"Gaaagh Bella! Fuck!" Edward was jolted out of his fantasy as he ejaculated all over his stomach

Edward rested momentarily, unaware that Bella was standing in the doorway to their bedroom with her mouth hanging open.

Bella had heard an odd sound as she finished in the shower and she had barely dried her body before she scurried into the bedroom only to stop as she watched Edward in the middle of fucking his hand as he moaned her name.

Bella was more than a little turned on by the sight of Edward getting off to whatever picture he had in his head, Edward's 'O' face was breathtaking and Bella felt her own arousal skyrocket as he grunted her name, followed by a string of curses as string after string of cum coated his stomach and T-shirt as she gasped then clamped a hand over her mouth.

Bella retreated on wobbly legs to their dressing room where she pretended to look for an outfit as Edward mumbled something unintelligible as he darted through the dressing room into their bathroom.

She giggled when the door slammed shut behind him and seconds later she heard the shower turn on.

"This old woman's still got it! She can still bring her man to his knees!" she said to herself as she shimmied into a pair of panties that was the palest pink and delicate.

After his initial embarrassment at being caught beating off by Bella, Edward decided that it wasn't a bad thing that he still had such an epic response to Bella, or visions of Bella and with a cocky swagger, he tossed the towel into the hamper and strode into their dressing room, where Bella was just about to reach for a beautiful blue crossover sweater dress.

She glanced over her shoulder and her eyes widened almost comically at the sight of Edward, with his hard erection proudly tapping against his stomach watching her.

"Oh! H-hi!" her voice sounded high and nervous.

Edward chuckled as he palmed his cock, "Hi," he walked forward until his breath tickled her face, "Did you enjoy the show, Baby Girl?"

Bella felt her panties get soaked at the sound of his deep, velvety smooth tone.

She swallowed thickly, "Wh, um, you, I," she fell silent after several attempts to form a cohesive sentence and took a deep breath. She ignored her burning cheeks and nodded, "Yes" she whispered as she licked her bottom lip nervously.

Edward's eyes darkened as he took in her bright eyes, flushed cheeks and the wildly beating pulse at the base of her throat.

"Were you turned on Isabella, knowing that just imagining you in the shower did that to me?"

Bella gasped, "You were – thinking about me in the shower when you –" she made a clumsy gesture towards their bedroom door.

Edward cocked an eyebrow, "When I – when I was masturbating? Oh yes, Isabella, it was all about you, baby."

Bella felt her knees grow weak. She wanted to fall at his feet and show him how much she loved and desired to serve him and just as she was about to follow her instincts, she felt Edward's hands holding her upright. She loved the feeling of his fingers digging into her hips.

With a boldness that Edward wasn't used to, Bella tilted her head up and looked him straight in the eyes, "You have no idea how much I love knowing that I can still excite you after all these years, because Edward, you make me so fucking wet just by looking at you or thinking about you that I go through panties like Max chomps Skittles." She smiled as she twisted out of his grasp and she quickly finished tying the short, flirty dress.

Edward smiled and let her go so that they could get dressed and get their evening started.

A short while later, Edward and Bella were headed to Rutherford for dinner. They deliberately kept their conversation light. Bella was amused at how many people stopped to gawk at them as they drove down the main road in Edward's coveted Aston Martin Vanquish. He loved his car and it was a well known fact that this was the one material possession that Edward guarded jealously.

He found a parking space at the end of the block from the steakhouse that they were eating at and Bella couldn't help smiling as Edward made his way around the car and opened her door.

Edward flashed his charming smile as he held out his hand for her to take and after tucking her hand into the crook of his arm they stepped onto the sidewalk and headed for _'The Eatery'_, a new up and coming steakhouse that offered good food and some privacy for their more famous clientele.

Bella just stopped herself from rolling her eyes at the young, overtly sexy blonde woman that stuttered a greeting as she gazed at Edward, barley giving Bella a glance.

Edward was feeling more than a little nervous and he didn't even notice the woman's fawning until Bella snorted as the hostess sashayed her way to the small and private balcony table that Edward had specifically requested.

"What?" he asked as he looked down at Bella.

Bella nodded towards the hostess, who was swaying her hips so broadly that it was a wonder she had not knocked into someone.

"Little Miss 'Thong' there is trying to get your attention." She murmured.

Edward laughed at the name that she had given the girl and he had little trouble seeing why. The very distinct thong outline was visible under her skintight dress as she walked in front of them.

"You are the only woman that I see, Isabella."

For a moment Bella was dazzled by the look of unbridled love and lust in Edward's eyes and it was almost a shock when the hostess cleared her throat rather loudly and announced that their table was ready.

Bella blushed slightly as Edward didn't bother to look up, "Thank you," he said as he pulled out a chair for Bella and sat down to one side of her and immediately picked up her hand and pressed his lips to her knuckles.

"Well, um, your waiter will be with you shortly." The hostess announced sullenly as she popped the menus onto the table.

"You look so lovely tonight, Baby Girl,"

Bella sat back and pulled her hand free as she took a deep breath and a quick sip of water from the full glass in front of her.

When she looked back at Edward, she made a point to fan herself playfully, "You have to stop dazzling me, Mister Cullen. I'm an old married woman, you know."

Edward shook his head, "You will never be an old anything, my Love. And you will always be lovely and sexy and beautiful to me and I hope that I never stop dazzling you."

A waiter appeared and thankfully Bella and Edward had eaten there many times and Edward was able to order for them without looking at the menu.

After their wine was poured, Bella noticed that Edward looked nervous.

"Is something wrong?"

Edward pursed his lips thoughtfully, "No, nothing is 'wrong' but there is something that I want to ask you and I'm not sure how you will respond."

"Edward, you know that you can ask me anything."

"I know, but this is different. I haven't asked you this question in a very long time," he said as he silently willed her to catch on.

Bella frowned, "What is the question?"

"Bella, will" Edward's voice broke and he quickly took a sip of his wine as Bella stared at him wide-eyed.

"You really are nervous!" she said as she reached across the table and brushed the moisture that had gathered on his top lip.

"Yeah!" Edward laughed nervously.

"You don't have to be nervous, Sparky, not unless you want to have another baby and then you should be downright terrified!"

Bella's joke broke the tension and it was just what Edward needed to voice his question.

"Bella, you know that our twenty year anniversary is next Saturday," she nodded.

"Well, um, I was wondering if you would mind very much, um, renewing our vows? With me? Would – would you please re marry me, Isabella?" Edward's air supply ran out after that and he took a few gulps of the cool summer air before he lifted his wine glass and emptied it in one go.

Bella sat still.

She hadn't moved and a large part of Edward was beginning to freak out.

_She didn't want to marry him again._

_She thought his gesture was stupid, childish, and too late! Oh god, he was going to lose – _

Suddenly Edward was pulled out of his whirlwind of thoughts as Bella landed in his lap and her arms were flung around his neck and her lips were pressing against his.

"…yes, yes, yes! Oh God! I love you, Edward Anthony Masen Cullen! You are the most romantic man in the world!" Bella gushed as she kissed his mouth, jaw and cheeks.

Edward's arms shot out and he laughed as he held her tightly. He didn't care that several people had turned their phones towards the famous couple.

Bella wanted to do this with him! She wanted to remake a commitment with him!

Finally they were quiet as Bella pressed her forehead to Edward's.

"I love you."

"Oh Bella, I love you too."

A throat clearing had them parting reluctantly as the waiter smiled apologetically and set their dinner plates down. He quickly disappeared and had the forethought to close the doors that led into the restaurant, which gave them almost complete privacy.

"So how long have you been planning this?" Bella asked as she ate her 'surf 'n turf' dinner of steak and crab with seasonal vegetables.

Edward smirked, "A while."

Bella cocked an eyebrow, "How long is 'a while' and what kind of planning have you done?"

Edward dabbed his mouth, "Since the weekend that we spent in the city. I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that I needed to show you how serious I am about being married to you."

"So, who have you roped into this madness?"

Edward grinned, "Oh just about everybody up at the Lake, but if it's okay with you, I would like to keep the details a surprise."

Bella looked alarmed, "You've set Alice loose on this?"

Edward grinned and shook his head, "Not a chance, baby. Jazz is keeping her in line and Alexis and Mom are in charge and Sue and Rosie have been on speed dial every day. I just want to give you this, if it's okay with you?"

Bella could see how much this meant to him and so she agreed. "I trust you and I know that whatever you have arranged will be perfect, just as long as I get to spend some extra quality time with you."

"Deal"

"There is one other thing," Bella said.

"Anything,"

"I think that we should leave for Lake Tahoe the day after tomorrow," Edward was about to protest but Bella held up her hand, "just hear me out. I was thinking about this today. I think that you should take the boys camping and I will take the girls away for a spa day after we sit them all down together and explain our plans to them. We really need to reconnect as a family and we should do it before we renew our vows."

Edward knew that Bella was right: they needed to reconnect without the rest of their extended family and friends.

"Can I make another suggestion? We fly down early on Tuesday morning, and we have one night apart that will be Wednesday – boys and girls time but then you girls join us for a day and night so that we can reconnect that will be Thursday and Thursday night and we get back on Friday just in time to get 'married' on Saturday."

Bella nodded, "That's a great idea. We should phone Charlie and let him know that we are leaving early and then we need to let your parents know to expect us."

"We can do that when we get back to the house." The rest of their dinner past quickly and it was only when they were on their way back home that Bella brought up the other important topic.

"Edward?"

"Yes Baby?"

"Do you still want to talk about our D/s time?"

Edward look across to see that Bella was nibbling on her bottom lip, "Do _you_ want to, because if you don't feel ready then you can just tell me."

Bella reached out her hand and Edward felt warmth spread up his thigh as her fingers touched him, "I don't want there to be any misunderstandings or unresolved issues, any more. Our tattoos are a symbol of the commitment that we have made for 'full disclosure' and I don't want to wait any longer."

Edward brought Bella's hand up to his mouth, "I couldn't agree more,"

Once the Vanquish was parked in the garage, Bella phoned Charlie while Edward called Carlisle. Once they were finished they met in their bedroom, where they took off their shoes to get more comfortable. Edward was holding his i-Pad, while Bella took her journal from her bedside table drawer.

"Let's talk in the playroom," Edward suggested and he held out his hand.

Bella was as nervous as the very first time that she had walked into a playroom as she followed Edward through the annex.

He quickly punched in the code that was their wedding date and made a mental note to change it sometime.

He flicked the lights on and he was astonished as he looked around. The room smelled fresh and newly cleaned. The smell of oiled leather and instrument cleaner was faint but still there and he looked around.

Everything was in perfect position and gleaming.

He turned around and looked at Bella, "You've been cleaning the playroom." He said quietly.

Bella gave a half shrug and nodded, "Well, it's been one of my duties as your submissive, remember?"

Edward's eyes clouded over with regret, "I remember, Sweetheart. I'm so sorry that I let you down." He looked around him again, "All this time… I can't believe that you kept it looking so – perfect and ready… and I just left you waiting…"

Bella swallowed her own tears when she saw the tears in Edward's eyes threatening to overflow.

Bella put her hands on his waist, "Don't, Master." She said boldly. "Don't waste any more time on regrets or apologies. Please can we just move forward? I want to serve you and submit to you, please let the past go."

Edward's eyes had widened at Bella's use of the term 'Master' and he was surprised at how joyful it felt to hear her call him that. He swallowed and blinked the excess moisture away before he gestured to the loveseat that faced the whipping bench.

Bella sat down and curled her feet beneath her, while Edward walked around the room. He stopped before the gallery of erotic photographs that Bella had taken over the years.

"You are the perfect submissive, Isabella." He said almost to himself.

Bella found herself blushing with pleasure at his words.

"Thank you Master," she said.

At the use of that title for the second time in as many minutes Edward turned around and focused on the business at hand.

He sat down in an armchair adjacent to the sofa and smiled, "Well, Baby Girl, shall we get down to comparing notes?"

*ΩafloΩ*

An hour and two bottles of water later, and Edward grinned as he reached across and held out his hand to one of the best negotiators that he had ever come across, "You have a deal, Mrs. Cullen."

Bella grinned back at her husband and Dominant and she could not stop the shiver of excitement down her spine as her hand slipped into his, "Always a pleasure doing business with you, Mister Cullen." She teased.

Edward's smiled faded for a moment as his eyes searched her face, "No regrets, Isabella?"

Bella looked around their playroom and for a moment she felt a pang of sadness for the loss of a large part of their lives but then she thought about their new 'arrangement' and she smiled and shook her head, "A little nostalgia, but no regrets, Master."

Edward smiled and he pushed the armchair back into place before he stood up and walked to the door without a word, "I will be back in five minutes, Isabella. Will you be ready?"

Bella stood up and met his gaze, "Ready and waiting to serve you, Master."

Edward almost ran back to their bedroom where he shed his clothes left and right before pulling his old jeans over his hips. He didn't bother to butting the fly but instead he took a minute to calm himself before he walked back to the playroom entrance.

Bella knelt on a cushion in the middle of the room. Her hair fell around her shoulders as the soft light cast shadows to play across her naked beauty.

They had decided by mutual consent not to have sex during this first scene, but rather to consummate their relationship in their marriage bed afterwards.

Edward stepped forward and stood in front of Bella, "Your submission is treasured, my lovely wife."

As agreed Bella lifted her head to stare into Edward's eyes – there would be no more lowered gazes, unless they both agreed.

"I trust you with my submission and my heart, Edward."

They stared at each other for a long moment before Bella watched the 'Dom' mask fall into place on her husband's face.

"Master, may I serve you?"

"How my beauty?"

"May I suck your cock, please?"

"Y-yes"

Bella could not help the smile as she opened her mouth. It was exhilarating to know that she could still unnerve this beautiful man that she was married to.

As her lips closed over his bulbous head, Edward let out a loud groan that should have embarrassed him but didn't. There was something about the room where he and Bella had shared a life completely separated from any other aspect of their lives: their children, their parents, their careers, nothing had penetrated these walls – inside it only he and Bella existed.

Master and submissive.

Both giving pleasure and receiving pleasure.

Both surrendering within these walls.

Edward's eyes closed as he gave himself over to the sensations that Bella was creating with her mouth, tongue and teeth as her fingers massaged and caressed his balls, which encouraged his climax to peak that much sooner.

When Bella opened her throat to receive his cock, Edward felt his control slip and for one of the first times, he didn't hold back, but rather, he welcomed surrendering to Bella's mouth.

Bella lightened her touch until Edward opened his eyes and his black eyes shone down at her as she tucked his softened dick inside his jeans and rocked back on her knees.

"Did I please you, Master?"

Edward reached out and caressed her head, "You surpassed 'pleasing' me, Baby."

Bella smiled at the praise.

"Stand up for me Isabella. Feet apart!"

Bella stood up and made sure that she was standing in a perfect position as her breath quickened with anticipation.

This is what she had been waiting for.

This is what she had craved, longed for, hungered after.

She heard as her Master moved behind her, his soft footsteps barely made any sound, but Bella was conscious of his movements.

"Up on the bench my lovely. It's been too long." Bella almost whimpered as Edward's deep voice washed over her.

He noticed the sudden outbreak of goose bumps over her back and he bit back a smile. It was good to know that he could still affect her that way.

Bella hurried over to the bench eagerly. The feeling of the cool leather, smooth wood and familiar shape had her dripping even more than before.

Edward found what he was looking for and he moved over to the bench, happy that Bella's eyes were looking at the floor.

"Now, we have spoken about what you are craving, so let's see if your Master was listening. Lift your hips, baby girl."

Bella lifted her hips wondering what he was up to. She felt something being pressed against her clit and she let out a small moan when she realized that it was a clit vibrator. This was one of her favorite toys – they were small, no bigger than an inch and a half, latex molded triangle that were supplied in various colors and were waterproof, completely silent and worked like a charm!

Bella wiggled her ass as Edward checked that the vibe was positioned correctly and he let two fingers ghost against her opening.

A swift hand landed on her rounded cheek, "Keep still, Isabella. You don't want this to end unsatisfactorily, now do you?" Edward's voice may have been teasing but the message was clear – he was still the Master in control. Bella nodded quickly.

"Good girl, now we are almost ready – just another adjustment –" Bella had no time to react as Edward slid the cold glass dildo inside her, but she heard his chuckle, "there! I think that we are ready. What color are you my lovely girl?"

"Green, Master." Bella said breathlessly. The anticipation was almost too much, but Bella forced herself hold still. She had waited so long that a tiny part of her wondered if the expectation was going to live up to the reality.

"You seemed to like the sued flogger last time I saw you, so let's begin with that. Count for me,"

"One."

"Two."

Edward was a master with a flogger, whip or crop and Bella's eyes were almost rolling back as she felt the soft tendrils falling across her flesh.

By the count of twelve, when Edward stopped to check, Bella was ready to cum. She was seconds away from climaxing and she couldn't stop the whimper of disappointment when he put the flogger next to her head.

"What do you need, Isabella?" he asked as he handed her a bottle of water and ran his hands over her pink skin.

"I want to cum, Master but I also was to hold onto the anticipation."

Edward nodded, "It is a delicious conundrum isn't it, Baby?"

Edward tipped Bella's face so that her eyes met his. She wasn't used to looking at him in the eyes when she was collared, but she found that she loved the new freedom. Being able to look into her Master's eyes gave her the opportunity to read his emotions and that gave her a sense of comfort.

"It is, Master, but I love it. I like you testing me."

"I love watching you go beyond what you think you are capable of. The look of pride and wonder on your face is nothing short of breathtaking."

They shared a smile before Edward took the water bottle from her.

"Okay, home stretch. Let's make this interesting."

Bella closed her eyes tightly as she felt the two vibrators begin to move. Edward turned the clit vibe higher before he picked up the whip that Bella had requested he use. With one hand he began to expertly whip her back, buttocks, the tops of her thighs while with the other hand he began to twist and pump the glass cock inside her.

The sensations were nothing short of earth shattering and it seemed as if it was seconds later that Bella was begging to cum.

"Master, please!"

Edward brought the whip down one last time across her ass as he pulled the glass dildo almost all the way out before pumping it back almost to the hilt.

"Cum!"

Bella shouted as her body convulsed with the sensation of her climax.

Bella could feel her cum almost forcing the dildo out of her passage.

Edward switched of the clit vibrator and removed it gently before took the other one out and put them into the sink to be cleaned later.

He was ready and when her breathing had slowed enough, he lifted her into his arms and carried her into their bathroom, where the filled hot tub was turned on and waiting for them.

Edward eased her into the tub and quickly followed behind her.

Bella hissed as the water touched her sensitive skin but it was one of the most wonderful 'hurts' that she had ever felt.

Edward's arms closed around her as he pulled her onto his lap.

"How are you feeling?"

Bella's head rolled against his shoulder, "Hmmm, perfect." She said drawing the word out.

Edward dropped a kiss to her jaw, "Thank you for your submission, Baby. It was beautiful."

Bella's eyes fluttered open and she turned so that she was straddling his hips. She made sure to stare deep into his eyes as she spoke, "Submitting to you is like breathing for me, Edward. Please don't ever take this away from me again."

"I won't, I promise." He said and he pressed his tattoo against his heart.

Bella smiled and nodded, "Good, now, as much I loved this, do you think that I could make love with my husband? It has been far too long, Damnit!"

Edward laughed, "You really shouldn't have said that, Wife." Without a warning, Edward gripped Bella's hips, "Hang on!" and he rose out of the water, gabbed a bath sheet not caring that he was sloshing water all over the bathroom, dressing room and bedroom floors as he strode to their bed.

He lowered Bella to her feet before dropping to his knees and he proceeded to dry every inch of her, from her toes, up to her damp hair.

Once she was dry and panting, Edward gestured for her to lie down. He quickly dried himself and followed her until his rock hard dick was pressing against her open thighs.

Edward held himself on his hands as he stared into her eyes, "I will never let you go, Isabella, I love you."

"Make me yours again, Baby." Bella said as she gripped Edward's biceps.

They stared into each other's eyes as he slowing encased himself in her heat.

"Fuck!"

"God!"

Once he was fully inside her, Bella gave him a quick nod and Edward began to move. Each thrust was a promise of their devotion, each swivel of the hips was a declaration of their love, each pant and kiss were unspoken words of fidelity.

"Never again!" Edward grunted.

"Never!"

"Fuck, so good, so good, Baby."

"More! Edward, Faster! Oh God!"

"YESSSSS! BELLA!"

*ΩafloΩ*

As night gave way to dawn, Edward let out a contented sigh as he lay on his side, one hand propping up his head as he played with the wild strands of Bella's hair. They were exhausted beyond belief, having slept only to replenish their strength before they came together once more.

Bella was lying on her back, staring out the large windows at the breaking dawn. When she heard his sigh she turned to look at her husband.

Her lover.

Bella put her hand out and ran her fingers over the stubble on his face that gave her the most wonderful friction.

His hair was a complete mess, his eyes had shadows beneath them and his lids were heavy. His lips were even more pouty and swollen from the hours that they had spent kissing and devouring each other's bodies.

Unable to resist, Bella lifted her head and kissed the underside of his jaw.

"We have a lot to do before we leave tomorrow." Edward began.

Bella nodded, "Do you really believe that the playroom will be finished by the time that we come back?"

"Demetri's builder, Caius said so. He said that it won't be a problem to make the playroom behind the walk in closet, with access through a secret panel that will have a lever and the closet and drawers will lock with keys just in case there are any prying eyes around. I just think that we don't need all of that space. As long as we have the hardware and our favorite toys, we don't need four drawers of anal plugs and vibrators, don't you agree?"

Edward laughed at the fiery blush on Bella's cheeks, "Don't worry, my beauty, all of your favorites and a few of your not so favorites will still be in our collection."

Bella nodded, with a roll of her eyes.

A couple of days before, Edward had approached Bella with the idea of moving their playroom. He was not comfortable with them having a playroom in the middle of their family home and Bella agreed. Edward had contacted Demetri and he had put them in touch with a builder/designer that was renowned for creating playrooms all over the country. He was reputed to be one of the most talented and discreet people and Edward had wasted no time in commissioning him to design a walk-in closet space, behind their current closet that would only hold their toys, whips, floggers and one item of furniture. Bella had been excited to suggest something that she had wanted for a long time.

"Can we still get the tantric chair?" she asked.

Edward nodded and grinned, "I think that it will be even more fun than the whipping bench, besides if we want to play, Demetri has offered his playroom to us – all I have to do is book an evening or a couple of hours."

"That's a much better idea, then we can actually get 'alone' time without a thousand interruptions."

Bella rolled away and sat up, as she pushed her hair out of her face, "That is going on the date list: 'At least one, preferably two '_dinners at Villagio'_." Villagio was the name of the small restaurant that Demetri ran with his wife.

"That sounds perfect. Why don't we get dressed and I'll take you out for breakfast before we fetch Max?"

Bella readily agreed and soon they were sitting in one of their favorite eateries in the bustling town of St. Helena. Over the years, Bella and Edward had made many good friends and because of their approachability, there were very few people that treated them and the rest of the family like celebrities. The local business owners had become very good at closing ranks around their favorite family and the press were sent on many a goose chase in search of one of the Cullen's or Whitlock's.

The last day at the ranch raced by as Bella packed for the three of them to spend six weeks in Lake Tahoe, while Edward secured the house, met with the ranch manager, as well as the relief security team that would be taking care of the ranch in their absence Maxwell thoroughly enjoyed tagging along with Edward and once Max had packed his small bag of toys that he was allowed to take with, as well as Mooki, he announced that they were 'weddy to go'!

Once Charlie and Sue had found out that they were leaving earlier than planned, they as well as Seth and his family all decided to join them.

Edward went over last minute security details with the team that was remaining behind at the ranch, but he was happy that the family was going to be accompanied by Quil, Levi and Marcus.

The flight from Sonoma Airport to Truckee-Tahoe Airport was uneventful except for the excitement of the three children.

As they disembarked, Edward could see a few familiar faces waiting for them.

Maxwell spotted his siblings and cousins that he had not seen in long time and he let out an almighty yell: "SAMMY! HEY SAMMY – OVER HERE! IT'S ME, MAX CULLEN!"

Bella felt the tension in her stomach knot tightly as she saw Sam's hard gaze glare at Edward over Max's head.

_What had she done?_

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: So what do you think of this chapter? And joy of joys, Sam is at the airport – I wonder what kind of reception Edward is going to receive from his middle child. Should Sam make Edward 'suffer' like most teenagers would do (they can be so callas sometimes, can't they?), or will he let him off the hook and forgive him.**

**Till next time,**

**Justginger **


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer:**** The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.**

*ΩafloΩ*

****WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!**

**Hi Everyone, it seems that I have confused a lot of readers with my mistake in the first chapter with the ages of the children, so here are their ages:**

EDWARD – 45

BELLA – 42

JACKSON & ALEXIS – 19 (Jack premed at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore – Alexis – UCLA – Interior Design shares an apartment with Joshua)

NICHOLAS – 18 - (Starting Stanford in the fall – MBA – Business)

SAMUEL MASEN (AKA SAM) – 16 (Senior in HS)

ELIZABETH ALICE & ANDREA ROSE – 10 (FRATERNAL TWIN GIRLS – going into grade 5)

MAXWELL EDWARD (AKA MAX) – 4 (preschool)

EMMETT – 48

ROSALIE – 47

JOSHUA – 20 (UCLA – BA in Film and Television – 3rd year, shares apartment with Lexi)

JARED – 19 (YALE pre law – Junior year)

MCCARTHY (MC) – 14 – (Starting high school)

REBECCA – 6 (Grade 1)

JASPER – 47

ALICE – 44

TIFFANY ANNE – 20 (NYU – Fashion Design – about to leave for London for a year going into 3rd year.)

CHRISTOPHER HEATH – 18- ( Starting Stanford premed)

DANIEL JASPER – 16 (Senior in High School)

_**A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US**_

**CHAPTER 9**

*ΩafloΩ*

Maxwell spotted his siblings and cousins that he had not seen in a long time and he let out an almighty yell: "SAMMY! HEY SAMMY – OVER HERE! IT'S ME, MAX CULLEN!"

Bella felt the tension in her stomach knot tightly as she saw Sam's hard gaze glare at Edward over Max's head.

_What had she done? She had been so wrapped up in her own misery that she had failed to see the impact of her and Edward's strained relationship had had on her children._

Unfortunately, Max's voice carried throughout the moderate sized airport building and it was only a few minutes later that Edward spotted the paparazzi pointing their cameras in their direction.

Sam grinned at his younger brother and he stooped down and swept him into a gigantic hug, which had the four year old squealing and laughing.

Emmett and Rosalie stood behind them with Daniel and McCarthy as Bella and the rest of their extended family made their way over to greet them before heading off to get their luggage.

Bella hurried over to her middle child and she could not help the emotional tears from forming as she hugged him tightly.

"Oh my word, I've missed you, Samuel!" she pulled away and held him at arm's length, "I swear, you have grown at least five inches! And you are packing some fine muscles son!" she teased.

Sam rolled his eyes as he smiled down at his mother, "Hi Mom," he said quietly.

Bella stepped to one side and Sam didn't try to hide his discomfort as Edward stepped forward to hug him.

"Hey Son, it's good to see you."

Sam stiffened as he endured Edward's hug and he pulled away as soon as he could, "Dad," Edward could hear the aggression in Sam's voice.

"Sam…" Edward began, but without giving him a chance, Samuel glared at him, "Don't – just don't, Dad." He said as he blindly handed Max over and pushed past Edward to make his way over to where Charlie and Sue were pushing their luggage, "Grumpy! Granny Sue!" he hugged them eagerly and Edward turned away from the scene.

The adults tried not to show their discomfort as Edward tried valiantly to hide the hurt that he was feeling.

"Hey E, Bells, are we ready? Seth, I've hired another minivan to take you to the compound, it that okay with you?" Bella thanked her lucky stars for Emmett, who stepped into the gap.

Edward held Max on his hip as he maneuvered through the airport, meanwhile Marcus, Quil and Levi kept the paparazzi away from getting too close.

Bella felt disheartened and angry as she watched Edward walk alongside Emmett and Seth. She could see the dejected slump of his shoulders and she knew that he was going to be beating himself up, so ready to accept that he was fully to blame.

"Bella, he's a teenager," Sue began but Bella whipped her head around to glare at her step mother.

Sam, Daniel, McCarthy and Charlie were walking behind them as the boys brought Charlie up to date on their training camp.

"Sue, do not make excuses for him! I don't care what Sam thinks that Edward has done, but he will not treat his father so disrespectfully! This is as much my fault as it is Edward's and I will not have this behavior." Bella snapped as she felt her anger rising.

Sue nodded, "You are right of course, but you need to remember something, Sam is flexing his muscles, testing out his manhood. With Jackson and Nicholas, things were a little easier because they were always had more in common with Edward than with you and they seldom tested his place as 'alpha male' in your home and in your life, but Sammy is different."

Bella didn't say anything but Sue could see that she was thinking about what she had said. It was true; apart from a few broken curfews and one incident when Edward had been called to fetch Jackson from a party where he had passed out on the front lawn at sixteen; neither of the older boys had butted heads with Edward. They respected him and he was one of their best friends.

Finally she looked from Rosalie to Sue, "Do you really think that is all it is? Teenage hormones are the reason why he is being so rude?"

Both women nodded, "Bella, Sam adores you. He put you on a pedestal when he was a baby and you have never come off it. It doesn't matter if you had to be a skank ho', that boy will never see you as anything less than an angel! Edward was working a lot for the past year and Sam did step in at home." Rosalie retorted.

"But he can't treat his father this way," Bella began.

"You are absolutely right, that's why it's so important that they sort this out."

Bella nodded but didn't say anything further as they followed the men to the waiting cars.

"I'm driving back with Uncle Em." Sam mumbled as everyone loaded into the two minivans.

He didn't wait for a response as he clambered into the middle seat with his cousins.

"Mommy, can we go with Uncle Em as well?" Max asked.

Bella looked at Emmett and Edward and Emmett smiled at his nephew, "Sure you can, Bud, let me just put the booster seats in the back row and then you three can get in, if you have asked your parents."

Seth and Jesse agreed and soon they were headed towards the lake. Bella and Edward sat in the middle row of seats, while Charlie and Sue sat in the back and Jesse sat up front with Seth.

There was a bit of small talk, which Bella ignored. She could see by the set look on Edward's face that he was still hurting from Sam's rejection.

Bella didn't say anything, but she slipped her hand into his, where it lay on his leg.

Bella heard Charlie and Sue talking quietly, well arguing quietly until she heard Sue say, "I'm telling you to stay out of it, Charles, let them handle it."

After what sounded like a grunt and a shuffle Charlie huffed loudly and Bella turned to see her father right against the window with his nose practically pressed against the glass as he glared at the scenery. She looked at Sue who just shook her head and rolled her eyes.

Bella realized that they were arguing about Sam's behavior at the airport.

The drive from Truckee-Tahoe Airport to the Cullen Compound was forty-five minutes and most of that time was spent in tense silence or stilted conversations.

Edward was cursing himself for putting a damper on the mood. This was supposed to be a happy time, but once again his shit was stinking up the place!

He felt Bella snuggle against his side and with a silent promise not to cause this woman any more pain, he shook of his black mood, put his arm around her shoulders and kissed her temple.

"Hey Baby Girl, you excited to be back at the Lake?"

Bella nodded, "Very! You know that I love being here, I swear, if we didn't live on our beautiful ranch, then I think that I would want to live here."

Edward chuckled because he had heard this many times from Bella.

He turned in his seat slightly and looked at where Charlie was sulking and smirked.

"Hey Grumpy, what you doing all the way over there? Your eyes must be getting bad with the way you have your nose pressed against that glass."

Seth let out a bark of laughter while Charlie turned his narrowed gaze on his son-in-law, "Honestly boy? You want to rag me when we are going to be surrounded by a thousand acres of wilderness. You know I am a crack shot…"

Sue gasped, "Charlie!"

"What? I'm just saying…" he battered his eyes that were so similar to Bella's at Sue before he smirked at Edward, "Just saying…" he reiterated, "There is a lot of empty land out there," he nodded to the forest around them.

Edward laughed and he reached over and patted Charlie's cheek, "Aww, it's okay big fella, I know that you love me. You don't have to hide it behind this prickly facade."

This time the laughter did lighten the mood and Seth jumped in and joined the good natured ribbing. By the time that they pulled up to the front entrance of the main house, everyone was laughing so hard that Bella begged them to stop.

"No more! You guys are terrible!" she gasped.

"Mommy! Daddy!" Bella looked up at Andrea's shout of joy just as their families spilled out of the front door. She and Edward wasted no time in rushing over to hug the twins before they greeted their three older children with equal enthusiasm.

Esme smiled broadly as she looked at Edward and Bella. They were both radiating love and Esme was relieved to see that there was no hint of the darkness that had surrounded them for so long. She pulled Bella into a hug, "You are positively glowing, my dear. Love definitely suits you and you wear it well."

Bella smiled broadly at the woman who had become her mother, "Thanks, Mom. We will talk later?"

The two women were as close as a mother and daughter could be and it warmed Charlie's heart to see the confident and loving woman that his daughter was.

Even though he joked around, Charlie had watched the gap widen between Edward and Bella and he had felt powerless to do anything because he felt partly responsible. If only he had not pressured Edward into sending Bella for treatment with that monster, and if that were not enough, he knew that he had put his fears of Bella's mental state into Edward's mind and that was when he began to pull away from her.

Watching the couple as they greeted everyone before they stood side by side surrounded by their children and family, Charlie sent up a prayer of thanks for the fact that Edward and Bella were even more in love than before.

A movement from the corner of his eye had him turning around only to see someone walking away from the house. Charlie frowned. He didn't recognize the man.

He saw that Quill was watching him and walked over to him, "Who was that?" he asked as he helped to offload the many suitcases that had travelled with them.

"That's Darryl something… White! Yeah, Darryl White, he is a ranch hand at the Rocking Horse, but he volunteered to come down here and help with maintenance while the family is down here."

Charlie nodded, "Is he new? I don't remember seeing him here."

Quill scratched his neck as he thought back to the young man that they had cleared, "Yeah, he's been with us for about six months. He came to us from a rehab placement program."

Charlie frowned, "Rehab? You have drug addicts around my grandbabies?"

Quill shifted nervously from one foot to the other, "Um, you will need to speak to Emmett about that, Chief. We just follow orders."

Charlie stared at the tall, well-built Native American, "You can be damn sure that I will be having a conversation with Emmett. Jasper and Edward as well."

Levi stepped up as Charlie made his way up the porch steps, "What was that about?"

Quill let out a sigh of relief, "Man, I thought that the Chief was going to hogtie and interrogate me! He was asking about Darryl – I don't know why, but he seems to have a bee up his ass about the kid."

Meanwhile the rest of the security team had shown up and after each bag was checked, they were delivered to the separate houses that each family would be staying in.

Seth and his family, Charlie and Sue would be staying in two of the guest cottages, while Garrett, Kate, Paul and Emily would be sharing a cottage. The rest of the family each had their own houses and the ten-man strong security team was all staying in one of the staff bunkers.

There were three bunkers that were huge log cabins that each had ten bedrooms with five bathrooms, an enormous 'great room' that was kitchen, dining room, games room and sitting room all in one. There was also a secure control room on one side that housed all of the surveillance equipment and a 'war room' that was electronically secure. The accommodation was luxurious and comfortable, which made the compound one of the most coveted security details within Cullen Security, as the Cullen family treated their security staff much like extended family members.

Between Anderson, Brian and Emmett, only the very best personal body guards had been dispatched to the Cullen compound. Every guest, visitor and service person was screened, checked and double checked and only preapproved visitors would be allowed onto the grounds.

Anderson had issued a new directive that morning that all the buildings were to be scanned for bugs, hidden cameras and microphones. Marcus and Levi would be in charge of this and with the perimeter sweeps, fence checks, patrolling the grounds and daily electronic sweeps, as well as guarding the family members, the team was well aware that they would be earning every dollar of their pay for the next two months.

Marcus, Levi, Quil and one of the 'newbies' to the 'Cullen Beat', Mario Santorini, an ex-navy SEAL, who's specialty was electronics sat in the large 'war room' discussing the logistics of running a sweep on the houses at irregular intervals. One of their prime objectives was to never stick to a routine so that it would be more difficult for any perpetrators to infiltrate the compound.

Teams were also randomly selected and changed up – no one was taking any chances and Anderson had seen too many 'good' men turned rouge in his time to ever trust anyone one hundred percent.

The rest of the team filtered in for a security brief and update. Anderson waited until it was quiet before he stood up. They looked like a rag-tag bunch, but Anderson trusted each man present with his life and more importantly the lives of his own family.

"Good Morning everyone. Well, we are in for a busy time in the next six to eight weeks. Currently all of the Cullen and Whitlock families are in residence, as well as the Clearwater-Swans and the Swans. We are still expecting Mr. and Mrs. Nomad and their two children as well as Paul Banner-Jones and his wife, Emily. So, that will take the head count to sixteen adults on the guest list, this includes Brian and my wife, who is on the guest list. There are twenty-one children including ours – sixteen of them are over the age of fifteen and ten are under the age of twelve. Excluding security, maintenance and ground staff, that will make it thirty seven people that are going to be running around here at any one given time!"

There were a few quiet whites and murmurs but Brian stood and they all fell silent.

"We are going to have four people doing a parameter patrol six times a day, one person in the control room and one person at the gate, then we are looking at ten people being looked after by the remain four people. I know that it sounds like a lot but remember Emmett is a member of the family and is more than well versed on security. Santorini, Marcus and Paul – the electronic sweeps are your babes. Also, you are not babysitters – you are there to make sure that nothing untoward happens while on our watch. Okay, what are our main concerns? Let's brainstorm this shit out of the way. Mario?"

"Well, Boss, you mentioned that there are eleven young adults – what happens when they leave the compound?"

Brian nodded, Santorini was not that old, and at thirty he was one of the youngest members of Cullen Security. He had been a bit of a 'wunderkind', an electronics genius and a computer wizard, and when he had been injured on a mission overseas, Anderson and he had wasted no time in pulling him into the fold. His good looks and boyish charm were going to be a great asset in helping him to blend in with the rest of the young adults.

Brian and Anderson exchanged a smile before they looked at Santorini.

"What?" Rio looked at them confused.

Marcus caught on and began to chuckle and Quill soon joined in, but he stopped laughing when his bosses turned their amused gaze to him, "Oh no! Come on!"

Mario frowned, "What's going on?"

Quill cursed, "Shit! We are covering the kids!"

"No!"

Anderson laughed, "Oh yes my young friend, but to make it easier, we have even brought in your 'dates'." He pushed a button and spoke, "Send them in."

A few minutes later the door opened and two young women stepped inside. One was a tall, exquisite looking Native American woman and the other was slim, sexy and had a luscious cap of red hair, neither woman looked older than twenty.

"Ladies, thank you for coming on such short notice. You are going to be staying in town, but I understand from the _Trogon Agency_ that you are qualified in martial arts, self-defense and weapons?"

The two women nodded.

"Great well then, gentlemen, let me introduce you to Leah Littlerock and Nadia Donaldson. These will be your 'dates' for the next few weeks. As you know, whenever we need extra personal we often partner with Trogon, the all-women security firm and we asked for two of their best people."

As Nadia looked around, she felt a shiver of excitement. She had just stepped into the lion's den.

The Chief was going to be so proud of her and these monsters would never know what hit them.

Revenge was sweet.

*ΩafloΩ*

After everyone had enjoyed the catered brunch that Esme had overseen along with lots of catching up, all the different families wondered off to get settled in their own accommodation, leaving Edward, Bella and their four oldest children sitting in the great room, while Esme and Carlisle took the three minis upstairs at Bella's request. She didn't want to wait any longer to have this difficult conversation.

While Jackson, Alexis and Nicholas had all made a fuss of the upcoming vows, Samuel had remained silent and sulky, which was making Bella's blood boil.

During a lull in the conversation, she looked at Edward and nodded before she clapped her hands to get everyone's attention.

"Hey, guys? Listen up for a moment, please. Your dad and I have decided to do something a little differently this week and so the minis, Alexis and I are leaving tomorrow morning for a girl's day at a new spa, some last shopping and dinner and then a 'sleepover'. You guys will go camping with your father and we will all meet up and spend a last night togeth-"

Suddenly Sam was standing in front of her, his chest heaving as he fought the rage down, "What are you talking about – where are we going?"

Bella took a deep breath, "You are going camping with your dad and the girls and I"

"Oh hell, no! I'm not spending more than five minutes with that –"

Bella moved so quickly that no one saw her until she had pushed his lanky frame against the wall of the sitting room.

"Now you had better listen and listen really well, Samuel Masen Cullen, I will knock the tar out of you if you talk about your father like that again, do you understand me?" she growled.

She ignored the startled yells of "Mom!" and "Isabella!" as she stared up into her son's face. Edward stood in the middle of the room as Bella glared at Sam and held him against the wall.

It wasn't her strength that held Sam in place; it was the shock of seeing his mother so furious – with him!

He had seen her angry, annoyed, grumpy, sad, but he had never seen her so ferocious before but none of those negative emotions had ever been turned towards him.

"Mom?"

"Do. You. Understand. Me?" Bella ground out the words as her eyes burned with fury.

"Yes, Ma'am." Sam knew better than to push her any further.

"Good, now go and sit down."

She released his shirt and turned to see all of her family staring at her as if she had grown another head. Edward was standing in the middle of the room and Bella walked over to him and she took his hand in her own as they sat down on a sofa and looked at their children.

Jackson had moved over and as angry and hurt as Sam was, he knew better than to defy a direct order and so he sat stiffly between Jackson and Alexis and glared at the floor.

"We owe you all an apology," Edward began. Sam was unable to hold his anger in as he gave a loud snort and looked up.

"Sam," Jackson warned softly. He could see that his parents were upset by Sam's behavior and he could understand why Sam was being an asshole.

Bella searched Sam's angry, hurt eyes and she felt her own anger melt slightly to be replaced by a deep sadness, "Sam, there is so much that you don't understand, but please listen to me. We were _both_ wrong. We made a mistake and I should never have allowed you to step into his shoes, and you neither Nicholas because you are supposed to be the kids – not the father and I am sorry, I'm so very sorry."

Sam wanted to protest loudly but as he looked into Bella's large brown eyes, he could see that she wasn't covering up for his father, she was telling the truth.

"He left you alone." Nicholas said quietly.

Bella held his gaze steadfastly, "_I left him alone_ – I left you all alone when I was sick and it was your daddy that took care of you. He bathed you and fed you and took you to school, don't you remember that?"

Edward pulled Bella even closer to his side. He hated what she was saying but he knew that the time for honesty and transparency with his children was crucial if they were to move forward.

Bella's eyes begged Alexis, Jackson, Nicholas and Samuel to see the truth of what she was saying.

"It was Daddy that read you bed time stories, and gave you hugs and cuddles when I couldn't. It was your Dad that worked tirelessly to hold our family together when I was falling apart."

Bella quickly wiped away the tears that had fallen.

"Baby, don't." Edward said as he gathered her into his arms. They both took a shaky breath before Edward loosened his grip and he pulled back to stare into Bella's eyes, "Are you okay?" he asked quietly.

Bella gave him a watery smile and she cupped his jaw tenderly, "I am more than 'okay'."

As their children watched this display of affection that they had seen a million times in the course of their lives, they now saw it with fresh eyes.

There was no mistaking the almost tangible emotion between the two. This was no act or show. This was the physical outpouring of their mutual love and devotion and it made the oldest three feel quite 'warm and fuzzy'.

Sam closed his eyes for a minute as the memories of those long, lonely two years came crashing down around him. Next to him Alexis had her head resting on Nicholas' shoulder as silent tears fell into the soft cotton of his T-shirt. She felt Sam put an arm around her waist to pull her closer to him. She wasn't sure if it was to give comfort or to get it.

"Mom's right; no matter what, Dad was there for us when she was ill." Jackson said to his siblings.

Sam did not want to remember that saddest of times, but he couldn't help himself.

Of course he remembered! How could he forget how sad and tired his father had looked all the time as he took care of the six of them as well as the newborn baby? The twins were only six and Edward had worked tirelessly to try to keep them feeling secure and happy.

Many nights they had heard Edward pacing the halls long into the night or crying in his office when he thought that no one could hear him.

_But then hadn't he done the same thing to Bella?_ An inner voice told Sam that he was only seeing what he wanted to see.

"You were sick, Mom," Sam said defensively.

Bella nodded, "Yes I was sick at the time, and Dad was there for me too, he was the one that took me to therapy and made sure that I was eating and sleeping while he took you all to school and went to your soccer games, little league games, debates, swim meets and ballet classes, with Max in his carrier."

Bella let her words sink in before she carried on talking, "I got better but your father was so afraid that I was going to relapse that he tried to protect me." Bella put her hand on Edward's shoulder to sooth him. She felt how tense he was, as if he was just waiting for someone to pound into him.

"Things got tangled up and over time, it just became easier _not_ to deal with what was going on. In fact, we can't even remember some of the reasons that things got so bad, but this was not only his fault. I am just as much to blame for the breakdown in communication."

Edward stood up and pulled Bella with him as he looked at his older children staring up at them, "Now, while I know that I have made mistakes and that you have every right to be pissed about that, we need to get something straight here: I love you all very much, but I love this woman at my side more than my own life and she will always come first and that is why we are having our vow renewal. I'm sorry that you have been hurt in the process of Mom and I 'finding' our way back to each other but there are going to be some pretty huge changes at home from now on, and we want you to be on board with that. Your mom is willing to give me another chance to prove myself and I just hope that you will as well."

Edward stared at Sam and Nicholas. Nick gave him a curt nod while Sam stared at the way that his mother was almost standing in front of his father as if she was trying to protect him.

Sam almost smiled except that he knew that she would put herself in harm's way to protect those that she loved and it was obvious that she loved, maybe even adored, Edward Cullen. So Sam nodded his agreement and he felt guilty as he watched his parents both relax slightly, but he was still angry and he was going to have his say to his father.

"Is there anything that you want to say or ask before we get ready to leave?" This question came from Bella.

Alexis looked at her brothers with a silent warning before she looked at her parents.

"I just want to say that you guys have always been my idols, and I think that I speak for all of us when I say that it has been a privilege to organize this day for you both. We love you and we _fully_ support you both." She finished her little speech and then she was up and across the room where she hugged her parents tightly as her tears fell.

Edward drew her into their embrace and he dropped tender kisses on the top of her head, "Aw baby, don't cry. Mommy and I are fine."

Alexis raised her head, "Are you? Are you really?" she asked as she searched her father's eyes. Edward smiled down at her, "We are, sweet pea."

Bella smiled at the nickname. It was what Charlie called her and somehow along the line, Edward had picked it up and she loved hearing him call Alexis by that name.

Bella kissed Lexis's cheek, "We are better than fine, anyhow do you know what 'fine' stands for?"

Alexis let out a loud laugh as she loosened her grip on her parents, "Did Papa C tell you that as well?"

Bella gaped before she looked up at Edward who was smirking, "You need to have a talk with your old man."

Jackson looked over at his brothers, "Come on, let's go 'make nice' and then go and pack the equipment."

Sam groaned and Jack shot him a dirty look, "Listen, dickhead, get your finger out of your ass and man up! Mom needs us to support them, and so we will, do either of you have a problem with that?"

Nick gave him a smirk that was a mirror of Edward's, "No problem here," he said as he stood up. Jackson looked at Sam, "Sam?"

Sam rubbed the back of his neck and stood up, "Fine! Okay! But you had better make sure that he sticks to what he says!"

As he moved to walk forward, Jackson pulled him back, "Don't fuck this up for them, Samuel. I'm warning you."

The two brothers exchanged a look before Sam nodded and stepped forward.

He held out his hand to his father and felt a twinge of guilt at the smile that Edward gave him as he clasped his hand and pulled him into a hug.

"Thank you, Son. Thank you for stepping in when I didn't." Edward murmured in his ear.

Sam felt his heart fill with emotion. He worshiped his mother, but he loved his father as well, and until recently, Edward had always been on a pedestal for Sam. He was the goal to reach for; the mark to attain. He was who his sons were inspired to become.

"It's okay Dad, we will talk later," Sam began, but Edward cut in, "I want to talk with you, Sam, you are as gracious as your mother."

They pulled apart and stared at each other. Sam slowly smiled the first genuine smile that Edward had seen and it warmed his heart.

"Hey, guys? When are we going to play?"

They turned to find, Andrea, Elizabeth and Maxwell standing in the doorway, while Esme and Carlisle stood behind them.

Bella smiled gratefully at her parents in law, "You may go and play in a while, Max. Okay, well, um, we are going to be sleeping in the woods for two nights, so why don't we break up into teams and get the packing done? Remember; pack old clothes, pillow, sleeping bag, and towel. Nick, will you and Sam get the tents and ground sheets, hurricane lamps, torches etcetera from the basement store?"

The guys nodded and made their way downstairs.

Bella looked at Alexis and the twins, "Well, we are have a day of pampering to look forward to, so we just need to do some cooking and packing for the boys. Who's with me?" Alexis ushered the twins towards the kitchen.

Max looked at his father, "What about me Daddy?"

Edward smiled and bent down so that he was level with him, "You, Max Cullen, are going to be my second in command. So you have to make sure that we pack everything that we need, okay?"

Max's green eyes were wide with excitement, "Can I be the boss?"

Edward grinned, "You are the 'little boss', and I am the 'big boss'."

Max tapped his chin as he thought about that, "Okay, I can do that. Little Boss, I like it." Max said seriously before he got a gleeful look on his face, "I gotta tell the girls!"

Esme laughed at his enthusiasm before she looked at Edward and Bella.

"How did it go?"

Edward shrugged, "Okay, I guess. They'll come around."

Carlisle nodded, "They are good kids. You have done a great job."

Bella noticed the bags behind them.

"Where are you two off to?" she asked.

Esme blushed slightly as she looked up at Carlisle from under her lashes, "Well, we are going away for a few days. Everything is under control here, and we are officially 'off duty'."

"Mom, thank you so much for all of your hard work and for looking after the children. I know that they always say that they can look after themselves, but I'm sure that we would be wading through mountains of dirty dishes, dirty clothes and god knows what else if you and Dad were not here." Edward stepped forward and hugged his mother.

Esme held out her hand and Bella took it, "You two are soul mates. You are meant to be together and we are just so happy that finally you have been able to get your heads out of your asses and have done something about it."

Carlisle chuckled, "Very eloquent, my love."

Esme grinned, "I thought so, now, if you will excuse us; your father and I have some memories to create."

Edward grimaced, "We really didn't need to know that, Mom, thanks!"

Esme giggled as she put her hand on Carlisle's arm, "Well, we have packed very few clothes…"

"Aaagh! Really Mom?"

Bella and Esme laughed, while Edward glowered at his parents, "Just don't get arrested on the way to wherever you are going."

"We'll try not to Son, can't promise anything though!"

Bella and Edward waved his parents off before they heard a commotion from the kitchen. They looked at each other.

"Maxwell," they said in unison. Bella reached up to kiss Edward's chin, "I'm going to see how the boys are getting on." She said quickly and hurried downstairs.

"Coward!" Edward muttered as he heard the pounding of feet coming towards him.

"Daddy! Daddy! Tell Max that he is NOT the boss of me!"

Andrea appeared in front of him, "Daddy, did you hear me?"

Edward nodded.

"Well, you have to tell him, or else he is going to be impossible!" Andrea growled as she folded her arms over her chest. Her coppery hair whipped around her face as she walked over to him.

She was their wild child. Andrea and Elizabeth may have shared a womb and physically they were two halves of the same coin, but when it came to their personality, they were polar opposites.

Andrea was a hell raiser, a champion of lost causes, a defender of the underdog, always ready for a scrap or an argument.

Elizabeth was the gentlest of souls; a girly-girl who loved a secret nook to read or draw, a quiet place to play quietly or just to daydream.

Together they were as different as night and day; oil and water and they should never have been friends, and yet, they loved each other fiercely. They were the best of friends and closer than siblings. More than once Edward and Bella had been called to the school because Andrea had got into a fight for defending her sister.

It was at the end of the last school year that Edward and Bella had taken the drastic decision to separate the girls at school. From the New Year, they would not be in the same class and Edward knew that Bella was dreading the new school year.

"Da-ddy!" Andrea stood tapping her foot as she glared at her father.

Edward schooled his face into a serious expression as he looked down at his daughter.

"Yes, Andrea, what is the matter?" he asked innocently.

Andrea rolled her eyes, "Daddy! You know what the matter is! Maxwell? I am not taking orders from that little…" Edward frowned at her.

"Andrea Rose, unless you want to be grounded and excluded from the party on Saturday, I suggest that you don't finish what you were about to say. Now, we have spoken about this before. I don't like to hear that you, Becky and Elisabeth are being mean to your brother. Mommy and I will not tolerate bullying and you know that." Edward seldom had to raise his voice to his children. He had a way of speaking to them that cut through their childish moods and went straight to their hearts – exactly the same way that Carlisle had been with him and his siblings.

Andrea lowered her gaze as she nibbled on her bottom lip. Edward loved how their children had inherited a mixture of his and Bella's habits.

"I'm sorry Daddy," Andrea whispered. She hated disappointing her father. She loved her mother but she was a 'daddy's girl' through and through and nothing meant more to her than making him proud.

Edward leaned forward and pulled her into his arms. "I'm not the one that you need to apologize to, Princess. I know that it's been tough because I've been working so much, but that's all going to change and I know that you are a great big sister, who will be more tolerant of your younger brother. Right?"

Edward felt Andrea nod as she pressed her face into his stomach. He ran his fingers through her long, wild waves and leaned down to kiss her head.

"Good girl, now have you finished helping your sisters?"

Andrea stepped back and smiled, "I just need to fetch the water bottles from the basement. I think that I'll ask Max to help me."

Edward nodded his approval and she turned with a gracefulness that was pure 'Cullen' as she danced into the kitchen.

Another crisis averted, he thought as he made his way into the office to make a list of what they needed to pack.

Because there was so much property surrounding the compound, they didn't need to go far too camp. Many years before, the uncles had found a perfect camping spot.

There was a fork in a river that ran into the lake that was surrounded by unspoilt forest. They had cleared a patch of the forest for tents and had built an approved safety fire pit, with a barbeque and spit for roasting from mortar and natural stones. An environmentally friendly toilet and an outdoor shower was fitted behind woven reed fencing to make sure that the area stayed as untouched as possible.

Over the years, this spot became a favorite amongst the children and adults alike. It could be reached by off road bikes, four wheelers and it was only about an hour's hike from the main house. Every summer, the families spent at least ten days out of their extended holiday camping, fishing, or they would take the bikes further up the river and go rubber tubing, or kayaking. There was an endless supply of activities at the river mouth and no one was ever board.

Even when it rained the surrounding areas had a network of caves that were safe enough to explore.

There were two other sites that had been converted into camp sites, the furthest one had a log cabin and was about a two to three hour hike from the main house, with an uninterrupted view of Watson Mount. It was often used in winter as a ski lodge and it was also registered with the local authorities as a refuge to anyone that strayed onto the property during the winter or during storms. While the cabin was very basic and rustic, it was fitted with an emergency two-way radio as well as a satellite phone, a hot water geyser, spare sets of clothing, a large first aid and trauma kit and enough dry and dehydrated foods and firewood to last a group of about ten people about a week if need be. There were three bedrooms off the one large main room and one and a half bathrooms.

The grounds keeper, David took several trips up to the cabin throughout the year to make sure that everything was in running order and that animals had not wondered inside. There was also a small garage that housed a snowmobile and an all-terrain buggy.

The other campsite was on the opposite side of the property as like the first one, was equipped for tent camping and water sports or fishing as it was close to a small beach and was great for kayaking or rowing.

Just as Edward finished writing down what seemed like a ridiculously long list of stuff to take with for them to camp for two days and nights, there was a knock on the open door and Edward looked up to see Jasper leaning against the frame.

"Hey, are you busy?"

Edward shook his head, "Nah, just making a list to make sure that we don't have to come home for something, come on in."

Jasper walked in and sat down in a leather easy chair.

"What's up?"

Jasper ran his hands over his jeans in an uncharacteristically nervous gesture, which made Edward uneasy.

"Jazz? What's wrong?"

Jasper's navy blue eyes met his reluctantly, "I, er, I spoke to Jack."

Edward nodded, "You told me that already, are you prepared to tell me what it's about yet?"

Jasper shook his head and Edward huffed impatiently, "Well then?" the two friends stared at each other in silence.

"I just want you to be prepared when you talk to him and Nick. Just – keep an open mind."

Edward pinched the bridge of his nose, "Yeah, right. This has catastrophe written all over it and you aren't going to give me a hint?"

Jasper chuckled, "It could be worse, E, it could be drugs or boozing or dropping out of college."

Edward groaned, "I suppose you are right." His eyes narrowed thoughtfully, "Well if it's not health related, or education, then am I to assume that it is – lifestyle related?"

The flash of recognition in Jasper's eyes was enough to confirm Edward's growing suspicion, "Fuck me, Bella is going to kill me! She is going to blame this all on me, just you watch!"

Edward felt an almost familiar sense of panic rise up inside him. Two of his children had chosen his lifestyle, or something like it! His oldest sons. Fuck! Bella really was going to kill him.

If she didn't castrate him first.

The thought made Edward want to rub himself against his palm for reassurance, but the look of amusement on Jasper's face was enough to stop him.

"What the fuck are you smirking about? You think that your kids are perfectly behaved little angels?"

At the growled comment Jasper laughed aloud, "Not in a million years! My daughter causes me many sleepless nights let me tell you. She is so damn secretive of her life away from us that I wonder what's going on with her sometimes. Remember last semester when Ali and I wanted to surprise her with a visit and she basically told us to fuck off because she was 'busy'?"

Edward nodded sympathetically as he remembered how distraught both Alice and Jasper had been.

Apparently, they had turned up at her apartment on a Friday evening and when Tiffany Anne had opened the door, she had almost slammed it shut in their faces. Eventually, she had ordered them to go back to their motel and told them that she would call them the following day.

Jasper had phoned Emmett and demanded that he run a full background check on her. Of course Emmett had refused and in a rare moment of clarity and maturity, he had advised that Jasper and Alice try to talk to her.

"Did Tiffany ever tell you what was or is going on with her?"

Jasper shook his head, "Nah, but we used our imagination and let me tell you, you don't ever want to go there! Anyway, we have just been encouraging her to talk to us if she needs to. It's just strange, you know. We have always had an open relationship with our children and they have always come to us, but suddenly it's changed…" Edward could see the hint of hurt on Jasper's face.

"I know how you feel." He said and Jasper nodded.

"Look, I'm sorry that they didn't come to you and they may not have come to me either, except I prompted the conversation."

Edward felt frustrated that he wasn't getting anything more from Jasper and he rubbed his hands over his face.

"Edward?" Edward looked up at his lifelong friend.

"They are fine. You and Bella have done a great job in raising them. Your boys aren't stupid or careless."

Edward nodded.

"Well, then you have to trust that they are going to be honest with you and when they are, you need to listen as a peer more than a parent."

With that Jasper stood up and in a rare moment of emotion, Edward stepped around the desk and hugged his best friend, "Thanks for being there Jasper."

Jasper patted his back, "I know that you will do the same for me, my brother."

"You know it."

The two men walked out together and parted ways until the families and friends would gather for a huge barbeque that evening.

Edward walked down to the basement to see how far the packing for the trip was, when Alexis stopped him.

"Hey Dad? Do you want to see what has arrived for Saturday?"

"Of course, honey. Thanks so much for taking over the arrangements with Nana. She told me that you have done a great job."

Alexis blushed at the compliment and Edward was struck by how much like Bella she was.

"Thanks Dad. Well I've put everything through here because you know how nosey Mom can be and I didn't want her snooping around." She said as she pulled out a key from her pocket and unlocked a large storage room to one side of the games room.

They spent the next few minutes going over all of the table decorations, the tikki lighting and strings of led lights that would be put up on the morning of the ceremony.

"I love the color Lexi. The Tiffany blue will be fantastic against the white table clothes and the center pieces of those tall vases filled with the shells and the lemons sprayed blue with the LED lights in them will be perfect."

Alexis nodded, "That's what Nana and I thought. We didn't want to go too overboard with the colors because otherwise it looks tacky and Aunt Ali would have my behind!"

Edward chuckled.

"So we are all set then?"

"On Saturday morning, while you are keeping Mom busy away from here, we will set up the chairs for the ceremony, as well as the 'aisle' and 'alter'. The caterers will be here after lunch to set up for the dinner afterwards. In the afternoon, the stage, dance floor, lighting and sound will be set up while we go and collect a few 'surprises' for you and the cakes will be delivered first thing in the morning as well, so that they can be put in the fridges and kept cool."

Edward cocked an eyebrow, "Cakes? Just how many did you order?"

Alexis smiled, "Well, we didn't want the minis to be left out, so they decided that they wanted cupcakes and because we had already ordered the main cake, we just ordered a cupcake tower for them."

Edward threw an arm over Alexis' shoulders and hugged her to his side, "Thank you Sweetpea." he said as he kissed her head.

Alexis smiled as she burrowed into her father's hug. He honestly gave the best hugs in the world and she was never going to be too old to get hugs and cuddles from her father.

A light tap on the door had them breaking apart.

"Hmm, I wonder if that is your nosey mother. Come on."

But when he opened the door, he was surprised to see a handsome young man standing on the other side, dressed in jeans, a plain white T-shirt and work boots which gave him away as one of Anderson's security team.

"Can we help you?" Edward asked when the man didn't speak because he seemed to be too busy staring at Alexis.

Edward felt a knot form in the pit of his stomach – no fucking way!

"Oh! Sorry Sir, Mister Cullen Sir, M-Marcus sent me get a tour of the main house as well as the other homes and um, the, the arrangements for the next few days regarding your family, Sir." Rio swallowed nervously. He knew that he was babbling but he couldn't stop himself.

_Marcus was going to kill him for behaving like an ass!_

He watched as Edward's eyes narrowed as he cast a glance at the breathtaking young woman at his side to Mario. Finally his brows lifted and he crossed his arms over his chest.

"Alexis, why don't you go back upstairs and help your mother?" Edward asked.

Alexis had not taken her eyes off the handsome stranger from the second that she had seen him.

His hair was inky black and shone like a raven's wing. His eyebrows and eyelashes were the same pitch-black color but when she felt the full effect of his stunning topaz colored eyes staring at her, she felt weak in the knees.

He was one of the most beautiful looking men she had ever seen. Having grown up in her family, Alexis was somewhat jaded when it came to good looks, so to have a man render her speechless was shocking, but Alexis was not ready to let him go. She had no idea what was happening to her, but she had never felt this way.

As she stared into his strange colored eyes, Alexis felt her world tilt slightly. It was almost as if in that moment, she could see her past, present and future and it was all wrapped up in that man.

Alexis realized that her father was talking to her.

"Pardon, Daddy?"

"Go to your mother, sweetheart, I will deal with this."

Alexis shook her head even before she was aware of her actions, "No, I-"

Just then Bella walked over to the group. She was shocked to see her daughter with a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look on her face, a very good-looking young man with the same expression, except his was mixed with fear and Edward looking like a thundercloud.

Oh dear! It seemed that it was time for her to run some interference for her daughter.

"There you are, babe; I need you to help me to get the other tents down from the attic." Bella said as she pasted a bright smile on her lips.

Edward frowned, "I'm a little busy, love" he began through gritted teeth, but Bella shook her head and pouted prettily.

"Please Edward?"

Edward looked torn.

Bella smiled at the man and held out her hand, "Hello! I'm Isabella Cullen, and you must be one of Anderson's men?"

Rio pulled his head out of the clouds and nodded as he shook the beautiful woman's hand. It was not hard to see that she was the girl's mother.

"Yes, Ma'am, I am Mario Santorini, um Rio actually." He said and he saw Alexis him a smile as she looked down at her prettily polished toes.

"Rio, this is my husband Edward, and our oldest daughter Alexis."

After Edward received a warning glare from his wife, he reluctantly held out his hand and shook Rio's hand. He briefly noticed that the young man did wince as he squeezed his hand, nor did he unleash his own obvious strength. While he stood at around six foot three, he was broader than Edward.

Edward let go of his hand with a reluctant sigh. The little fucker could not wait as he turned to Alexis.

Edward wasn't aware that he had let out a low growl as Alexis put her tiny hand into Rio's. A blush spread over her neck and cheeks.

"Hello," she whispered.

Rio swallowed. She was like a little bird. Her hand was tiny and warm and he noticed that it trembled slightly as he held it.

He wanted to cradle her in his arms and assure her that he would never hurt her. He wanted to feel if her luxurious hair was as soft as it looked, if her skin on her throat was as gossamer as the skin on the back of her hand was.

Rio felt himself smiling in response to her lovely smile and Alexis felt her knees weaken at the sight of the dimples in his cheeks.

"Hi,"

Silence.

"I'm Alexis or Lexi."

Edward rolled his eyes.

"Rio um, Mario."

Bella dig her elbow into Edward side as he opened his mouth.

"I um, I need to get a tour of the property... could you…?" Edward felt Bella's fingernails bite into his forearm. _It hurt like a bitch! _Edward grunted in pain.

Alexis nodded, "Yeah, I - I'm free."

"You are?"

Alexis nodded.

Silence.

This time Edward was determined to intervene but his wife stepped in once more.

"Alexis? Alexis! Honey!"

Bella snapped her fingers and Alexis blinked and turned to face her.

"Honey, why don't you show Rio around? And bring him to the barbeque tonight; I will clear it with Marcus." Bella said as she pushed the two young people towards the stairs while holding Edward back with a hand to his chest.

"Isabella…" Edward began as they disappeared from view, but he stopped talking as Bella turned around to face him.

Her expression was a mixture of irritation, sadness and joy, "Just listen to me, first, okay?"

Edward nodded and Bella led him over to a sofa and pulled him down next to her.

"Did you see what I saw, Baby?"

Edward shrugged as he folded his arms across his chest as he mumbled something about a little prick.

Bella held her laughter inside.

He looked so much like Maxwell in that moment.

"Sweetheart, I know that you don't want to hear this but the way that they were looking at each other is…"

Edward glared at her, "…is preposterous and I won't have it! He is a fucking security guard – a 'mall cop', Isabella and he is at least thirty and my baby is an innocent child! I will have him fired!"

Edward was so caught up in his tirade that he didn't notice that Bella's cheeks were flushed with temper and her eyes glittered dangerously.

"Edward…" she began but then he abruptly jumped up and began to pace.

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I'll do… Emmett will listen to me, hell, Anderson will fall under a bus for you, so we will just tell him to get rid of _Barcelona_ and everything will be fine…"

Bella stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Edward!"

"… _Panting around my daughter like a rabid dog in heat…."_

"Edward!"

"… _Little runt with his pink thing hanging out…"_

"EDWARD CULLEN!"

Edward had been so caught up in his own schemes that he had not heard her until she screamed at him and then he jumped and swung around.

"_What?"_

Bella shook her head, "If you want me to walk down that isle on Saturday and pledge myself to you again for the next fifty years, then you had better listen to me."

Bella glared at him.

"Are you listening?"

Edward nodded.

"Good, now Alexis is a good girl and she has never given us any trouble. Besides the couple of boys in high school, she has stayed focused on her studies, am I right?"

Edward opened his mouth but Bella put her hand over it as she narrowed her eyes into glistening slits, "Don't speak. Just nod."

Edward nodded.

"So if Alexis has a friendship with _Rio_, not Barcelona, who is so much more than a 'mall cop' as you so eloquently put it, then we are going to stay out of their way – is that clear?"

Edward squirmed. He was not going to lie to his wife, but he couldn't promise that he was not going to ask Charlie for his gun.

"Bella…"

Bella poked his chest, "Edward (poke) just let (poke, poke) them be! (Poke, poke)."

Edward grabbed her sharp finger and rubbed his chest, "Damn it! Okay, Woman! Okay! You win, I'll stay out of their way and let nature take its course, but if he hurts her…"

Bella leaned forward and kissed his pouty lips, "Then you and your brothers and Charlie can pay Rio a visit, okay?"

Edward smiled as he leaned down and captured Bella's mouth. He knew that Alexis was going to be safely surrounded by the family for the next few days and nights and that made him happy.

Bella didn't see the calculating look in his green eyes or the smirk that he hid in her hair.

**I** _won't be interfering, but I never promised to keep the boys away… or her uncles… or her grandfathers for that matter. I wonder if Charlie brought his gun or his hunting knife._ Edward smiled at the strangely satisfying macabre images in his head.

"Do you still need help?" he asked Bella sweetly as he pulled back.

Bella shook her head, "Not really. Would you like to take the minis down to the beach? The girls are dying to tell us about their camp and I think that Max would love to run around on the beach for a while."

"Sure, why don't we go rock hopping in the tide pools?" Edward suggested, trying to recapture their earlier good moods. He was not about to let some punk ruin his chances of getting laid for the last time in three days!

"They will love that," Bella said as they climbed the stairs. Edward smiled as he wrapped his arms around her slim waist.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella and Edward were banned from the house for the afternoon, which suited them perfectly as they took all of the minis, including Rebecca, as well as Seth's two children to North Beach to rock hop and eat ice creams. When they got back, Alexis and Tiffany were on hand to spirit the youngsters away to 'get them ready.'

Bella and Edward were instructed to shower and to put on the clothes that had been laid out for them. Bella was puzzled, but went along with her orders and she was surprised to see that she was wearing an outfit similar to Edward's. They were each wearing white, Bella dressed in a white cotton bikini with a white and orange sarong over it, while Edward was wearing a white wife beater and white shorts.

A knock on their door, made them pull apart from their make out session and when Edward opened it, he smirked at the disgusted look on Nick's face.

"Try and keep it in your pants tonight, kids, there are children around!" Nicholas said as he motioned to them to follow him outside.

"What's going on?" Bella asked and Nick grinned at his father over her head. Bella was worse than all of them put together when she was left out of the loop about things. More than once Edward had to hide her birthday and Christmas gifts in peculiar locations just to keep them a secret from her.

"Come on Mom, do you think that I'm going to risk getting on Aunty Ali's shit list as well as Tiff and Lex? No freaking way!"

Bella huffed, "Watch your language young man."

Nick laughed, "Why, are you going to spank me?"

Bella growled again, and she reached out to pinch his side. All of her sons now towered over her. Seth was the shortest at just on six feet. Nicholas laughed as he hopped out of her way.

When they got to the front door, Nicholas led them around the house towards the dock and Bella was shocked to see that the kids had actually arranged a luau for her and Edward.

They were greeted on the overlooking the dock with lei's that had been made from colored paper and exotic looking drinks in frosted glasses.

While Bella was handed a laurel headdress, Edward was given a gaudy floral short sleeved button down shirt, similar to what all the men were wearing.

Bella could not help giggling when she saw that Casey and Max were dressed the same way with white wife beaters, white board shorts and floral shirts.

All of the women and girls were dressed in tank tops and shorts or skirts with colorful fake grass skirts over them.

Of course Emmett thought it hilarious that he too was wearing a grass skirt and several leis as he did his own version of the 'Hula' dance on the makeshift dance floor that had been rigged.

Tikki lamps were shining around as Hawaiian music belted out through the outside speakers.

Everyone clapped and cheered as Bella and Edward made their way onto the dance floor and Bella could not help giggling when the_Hawaiian Wedding Song by Elvis Presley_ began to play, but her giggles soon died as Edward began to sing the corny words into her ear as he glided around the 'dance floor' and Bella's heart melted.

"_This is the moment  
I've waited for  
I can hear my heart singing  
Soon bells will be ringing  
This is the moment  
love sweet Aloha"_

Edward's eye twinkled as he smiled down at Bella,

"_I will love you longer than forever  
Promise me that you will leave me never  
Here I am now dear,  
You're my love,  
I know dear"_

Bella's heart felt so full as she gazed into his eyes.

"_Promise me that you will leave me never  
I will love you longer than forever  
Now that we are one  
Clouds won't hide the sun  
Blue skies of Hawaii will smile  
On this, our wedding day  
I do love you with all my heart"_

Bella didn't wait for the music to end before she pulled Edward's mouth down to hers.

"I love you, I love you so much, Edward." She panted as she pressed her forehead against his.

"I love you too, my baby girl – to infinity and beyond."

As if by mutual consent they raised their hands and pressed their tattoos together and Edward kissed her wrist gently, "I promise."

They became aware of the catcalls and whistles of the onlookers as well as the groans of the younger generation and they parted with wide smiles on their faces.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we present, the new re-wed to be, Mister and Missus Edward Cullen!"

Jackson announced as he stood in front of the DJ equipment with a microphone in his hand.

Bella had the idle thought that their kids looked like the von Trapp family from the Sound Of Music because they stood in a straight line from tallest to smallest. It was really corny and very cute.

After that, everyone joined them on the dance floor as Emmett led them in the Conga, the Chicken Dance and at the request of the younger generation, the Gundam Style dance, which for some reason; Emmett knew every move and line of the song.

Dinner was a spit roast with tropical style vegetables and fruit and 'dessert' were an assortment of tropical fruit smoothies.

The evening did not carry on too late as the young adults were going to a beach party while the older crowd was happy to put the minis to bed so that they could fall into bed themselves.

*ΩafloΩ*

Nadia had not expected to have to 'work' so soon, but she was happy when she received the call from Marcus to report for duty that evening.

She was partnered with Quill and she was happy when he didn't attempt to make small talk, but instead he guided them around the parameter of the beach party as they kept their charges in sight.

Nadia was amused to see that the other agent, Rio, seemed to be quite preoccupied with one of the Cullen children.

She was impatient to take action but the Chief had said that they had to bide their time until he was ready to strike.

She couldn't wait.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: I know that it's a slow build up, but we will get there – next up – the camping trip and of course the 'show down' between father and son - yeah, you know that it was coming!**


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.

*ΩafloΩ*

**WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!

A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US

CHAPTER 10

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella's gaze shifted between the road to the luxury private spa where she and the girls would be spending the next twenty-four hours or so and her oldest daughter, who seemed to be lost in her own world. She had been like that the entire day so far and Bella wasn't sure if she should be worried or happy for her.

Thankfully the twins were happy to be back in 'civilization' as they called it and neither of them had wasted any time in powering up their iPads to read as Becky was doing or to catch up with friends on Social media as Andrea was doing.

"So, how was the rest of your evening?" Bella asked for the second time. This time her comment seemed to penetrated the fog surrounding Lexi because Bella watched as Alexis blushed a deep red as she stared at her tightly clasped hands.

"Okay" she mumbled.

Bella grinned, "Just 'okay'? I would have thought, given what Ali said this morning..."

Alexis' head shot up, "What did she say? What did the boys tell her? Please tell me that Tiffany didn't"

Bella almost felt bad for teasing her daughter but given the fact that she, Ali and Rosie had been on the phone gossiping at seven that morning, she just couldn't feel too bad.

"Okay, I'm sorry, Alice didn't say much. She just happened to mention that Chris said that a certain young man seemed to keep a very close eye on you last night and we wondered…"

"What were you and the other two gossips 'wondering', Mother?" Alexis huffed as she folded her arms.

Honestly! You would think that her mother and her two aunts were sixteen, not going on fifty the way that they carried on! They were always giggling and nattering, okay well Aunt Rose didn't really giggle, thank God, because two giggling middle aged women were more than enough!

Bella giggled and Alexis rolled her eyes as she stared out of the window. It was going to be a long night.

"Okay, so is he even cuter close up?"

Alexis stared at her mother in shock but then she couldn't help the bark of laughter. Bella looked like an excited teenager about to get some juicy details. Too bad there weren't any to disclose.

"He is very good looking." Alexis said quietly.

"Does he seem nice?"

"He seems to be very nice and he's not self-absorbed like most guys my age."

Bella sighed, Edward was going to freak out completely, she thought.

Edward had been hoping that Rio's job with Cullen Inc. was just a 'holiday' job and that he was still in college, but it seemed as his hopes were about to be dashed.

"How, um, how old is he?" Bella asked as casually as possible.

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Mom, don't start…"

"I'm not starting, Honey! I only saw him for a couple of minutes, but I liked what I saw and it's pretty obvious that you like him, so of course I want to know about him."

Alexis sat tight lipped for a moment before she sighed and turned to face Bella, "Okay; here is the four-one-one on Mario Santorini: He is twenty-nine, and will turn thirty on November twenty-fifth, which makes him a Sagittarius," she said in a playful voice although she was praying that her mother didn't run them off the road. Alexis braced herself for an outcry and she was shocked when she heard her mother say, "Go on!"

Fuck, he is thirty! Edward is going to have a heart attack and I'm not too far behind, Bella thought as she forced herself not to react to Alexis' bombshell.

Alexis laughed, more with relief than anything else, "Okay, okay! He has two older sisters, Inez, who is thirty-five, married and has two adorable little boys. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles, and Nina, who is thirty-two, divorced and has a daughter. She lives in Seattle. Rio's parents, Antonio and Camilla own a couple of bistros on the west coast. His parents came to the US from Spain when they were first married. Rio finished school a year early and joined the SEALS. He was injured in Afghanistan two years ago and Emmett recruited him when he was still in the hospital. He loves animals and children, and he loves that our family is so huge, because he had something like thirty-seven first cousins in the States and Spain. He wants to have at least four children and he wants to start his own IT firm one day, he has a degree in Computer software and electronics." Bella's felt sad at the tone of pride and affection in her daughter's voice.

It had happened and Edward didn't even know. Alexis had fallen in love.

Maybe Edward did know and that was why he had been so clingy the night before and this morning before the girls had driven away.

Her baby was in love.

Bella bit her lip to try to keep her tears at bay, but it was useless and she felt Alexis' hand cover her arm as she tried to wipe the wetness from her cheeks.

"Mommy, don't…" Lexi whispered.

Bella shook her head and let out a trembling laugh, "Oh Baby, it's okay, you know that this is just me." She shrugged, "I am happy for you, sweet girl, I really am and I look forward to getting to know your Rio. I'm just a little sad that you are all grown up."

Alexis felt herself blushing as she pushed her hair behind her ears, "Oh Mom, I don't know what I feel! This is just new and exciting and a little scary, but I like him, I really, really like him."

She cast a sidelong glance at her mother who was sniffing and smiling like a silly goat!

"Oh Alexis, you feel a lot more than like, my girl, and it's okay to take this slowly, well as slow as you can."

Bella reached out and took Alexis' hand in her own, "Just let it happen, sweetheart."

Alexis nodded and she let out a breath, "I will."

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward looked around the campsite and grinned. Three luxury six-man tents had been set up around the huge fire pit at the campsite.

He could hear a heated debate taking place about who was sleeping next to whom in the boys' tent.

His and Bella's tent was slightly apart from the other two tents and he noticed that while no one had commented his three older sons had scrunched up their noses in disgust when he had suggested that they place their tent on the other side of the fire pit.

Edward had just finished blowing up the air mattress and had finished putting his backpack into the metal lockbox that they each had to keep clothing, toiletries and other things safe from animals and he made his way over to the boys' tent.

Jackson was cussing quietly under his breath as he dumped his bag into his lockbox. He had struck his thumb with a damn mallet earlier and it throbbed like a bitch!

"Max? Do you want to put your bag in my trunk?" he said as he looked to the camp bed next to his where Maxwell was rolling around with Mooki.

The little boy turned around and Edward bit back a laugh. He looked as if he had been crawling in the mud, with streaks of dirt on his cheeks, and his hair plastered to his face.

"Yep! I get to sleep next to you, Jack!" he said as he carried his half empty bag over to his brother.

Jackson smiled fondly and helped him gather the rest of his stuff up and pack it back into his bag.

"Do you want me to put Mooki in the trunk as well?"

Max pursed his lips as he looked from his 'friend' to the box, "Will he get scared in there?" he asked quietly.

Jackson knelt down and motioned him over, "Come here Buddy. Mooki won't be scared in here. Look we will make a soft bed for him so that he can sleep while we are outside. You don't want him to get wet do you? Or lost?"

Max shook his head vigorously, "No! If he gets lost, it would be weally, weally bad!"

Jack smiled patiently, "So, should we let him sleep here?"

Max nodded and put the fluffy cow in the trunk. He watched carefully as Jackson closed and locked the lid before he nodded in satisfaction.

Edward smiled to himself as he pushed away from the doorway, "Hey guys, who's ready to do some fishing?"

On the other side of the tent, Nick was already picking up his fishing rod and tackle box. Charlie and Carlisle had spent hundreds of hours over the past almost twenty years introducing their grandsons and daughters to their shared love of fishing.

They had travelled far and wide to expose the children to their passion and so far they had been ice fishing in Alaska, salmon fishing on the Colorado River, they had even done some fly fishing in Mississippi!

Jackson and Max picked up their own rods and tackle boxes and walked past Edward. Edward looked over and saw Samuel lying on his camp bed staring up at the ceiling.

"Sam?" Edward said quietly and he wasn't really surprised when his son shot him a dirty look before he turned back to staring at nothing.

Edward walked to where the others were gathered. Their favorite fishing hole wasn't too far and Edward trusted both Jackson and Nicholas to take care of Max.

"You boys go on ahead, okay? Sam and I will be along shortly."

Nick and Jackson exchanged looks but they just nodded and said nothing.

"Come on Max, you can help me carry the cooler box so that we can bring back dinner." Nick said.

Max nodded and they walked off.

Jackson lingered behind, "You going to be okay, Dad?"

Edward smiled sadly, "As your mother would say, 'I need to put on my big-boy pants'." They shared an identically crooked smile.

Edward patted Jackson's shoulder lovingly, "You go on, Son, we won't be too long."

Once the three of them had disappeared around the corner Edward turned to retrace his steps, only to find Sam standing at the doorway of their tent.

His eyes held a dearth of emotions. Apprehension, anger, hurt, scorn, all were reflected in his darkening hazel eyes.

Edward nodded and walked over to the fire pit. He began building a camp fire that would keep them worm and cook their dinner.

"Okay son; let it out – you are almost busting a gut trying to keep everything in." Edward said mildly.

Sam clenched and unclenched his fists as he glared at his father's bent head. All night he had thought of what his parents had said; of the apology that they had given them and it just wasn't enough.

For months Sam had watched as his parents had acted like two prize fighters in the ring – making an effort to pretend that everything was 'normal' in front of others, but barely sharing the same space. His father always looked worried as he hovered around his mother and she would brush off his effort to 'baby' her.

With a frustrated huff Sam folded his arms over his chest, "Why Dad? Why did you do it? Why did you run away to wherever you went? _Week after week?_ And when you were home, you did a piss poor effort of actually being there! So, just tell me why have you had such a change of heart?"

Edward pushed his own temper down. That was one of the traits that Samuel had inherited from him – a flash quick temper.

He stood up slowly and turned to face Sam. His heart was sickened by the fact that most of the hurt that had been caused was his own fault, but it was too late to dwell on that now. He had to clear the air once and for all.

"Samuel, I have never stopped loving your mother. We have had our problems, like a lot of couples do, but we never stopped loving her or you. As to the 'why' I ran away," he noticed that Sam's eyes widened at his caddice and nodded, "Oh yes, I was running away and the 'why' was because I had underestimated your mom's strength. I was scared that she was going to have a break down again if I put too much pressure on her. I know now that I should have spoken to her and voiced my concerns, instead of treating her as if she didn't have a brain in her head, but I was so damn afraid that she was no strong enough to handle any added pressure. I was just happy to see her enjoying life again."

Sam watched as Edward paced backwards and forwards around the fire pit, the fire long forgotten.

"Why were you so afraid?" his voice had lost some of its bitterness.

Edward looked up surprised that Sam was there. His dark thoughts had pulled him back to a time when Rene's evilness and madness had dogged them.

"I want to tell you, but I would like to tell your brothers as well. Can we wait until Max is asleep tonight? I promise that I will tell you everything."

After a moment, Sam nodded, "It seems fair."

Edward let out a breath that he had not been aware that he was holding in.

"Thank you." They stared at each other, unsure of what to do next until Sam gave Edward a slight smile, "Shall we go and see if Nick has been frightened by any fish yet?"

Edward chuckled and they quickly got their rods and began to walk down the pathway.

"You know, I think that he is the most squeamish of all of us?" Edward murmured.

Sam laughed, "Oh I _know_ that he is! It's funny when he actually catches something and almost throws the fish and rod to anyone else to take it off the hook! Grumpy says that he takes after Mom."

"He does! You should have seen her the other day when Max and I went tadpole catching; she sounded like a stuck pig with the way that she was squealing."

As the man and almost-man walked along the path, they both felt some of the tension and animosity that had been plaguing them leave.

That evening, after everyone had eaten their fill of hotdogs, pre-packed salad and chips, because the fish were nowhere to be seen, they took turns in showering and changing into shorts and T-shirts and Edward settled down next to Jackson as they played a few songs on their guitars.

Once Max had fallen asleep and had been tucked into his sleeping bag with his Mooki, Edward put his guitar away and he sat down in his camping chair.

Sam handed him a mug of hot chocolate and Edward smiled his thanks before looking at his oldest sons.

"You guys aren't kids anymore and Bella and I realize that perhaps it is time that we tell you more of our history firsthand. It doesn't excuse my past actions in any way, but it may help you to understand where I was coming from."

"You know that Grandma Sue isn't Bella's mother?"

They nodded.

"Well, Bella's 'mother' was or is, Renee Dwyer-Swan. She left Bella and your Grandfather when your mom was as young as Max."

There were a few shocked sounds but Edward ignored them and carried on, "Bella was emotionally abused and neglected by both of her parents for a long time because you know that Grumpy Charlie was an alcoholic."

Again they nodded.

"It took some time but Bella repaired her relationship with Charlie and to cut a long story short, Bella found out that Renee wasn't her biological mother."

"What the fuck, Dad?" Jackson gasped.

Edward didn't reprimand him for his language, but instead he gave them a brief synopsis of how Bella and Charlie had discovered that Renee had essentially stolen Bella and the events that had happened after that.

Nicholas leaned forward, "You never heard from her again?"

Edward shook his head, "No because Charlie and Seth would throw her ass in jail if she ever attempted to contact us. Anyway, Renee is a diagnosed Manic Depressant and a schizophrenic and so when your mom was diagnosed with Pre Natal Depression, I'm afraid that both Charlie and I panicked, especially Charlie when he saw that your mom began to develop some of the same symptoms that Renee displayed when she was pregnant with her baby. Then Charlie heard about that lunatic, Larry Calvino, or 'doctor Landenberg' as he was known and he just fucked things up even more."

Edward had forgotten about his hot chocolate and jumped when Jackson gently nudged him and handed him a beer. It wasn't nearly strong enough, but Edward was grateful for the cold liquid. He wasn't a fan of underage drinking but he suggested that he and Nicholas join him and he gave Seth an apple cider.

When they had settled down again, Edward stared sadly at his sons, "I felt so guilty for making your mother go to that nutcase and I was so scared that she was going to have another breakdown that I took it upon myself to make some changes to our lives without consulting her. When she started to get better, I pulled away to give her 'space' but honestly I was scared shitless that I was going to set her off again."

Taking a deep breath Edward looked up at his sons, "A few weeks ago, someone sent your mom and I photographs separately of each other. Neither of us has ever been unfaithful but the sender made it seem as though there was something going on. I am not proud of myself, but I panicked and flew home the next day. I had already made up my mind to come home and sort this out once and for all and the photos just pushed that decision along." He gave a snort.

"I suppose that in a way, we have that trouble maker to thank. We still don't know who sent them, and that is one of the reasons why we have additional security this summer. That and also, there is something going on with Max that just doesn't sit right."

Edward quickly explained Max's behavior over the past weeks and he fetched the tracking devise cuffs that had been made for each member of the family. He handed them each one and held up his arm to show them his as he explained what they were and how they worked.

"I know that this might seem like 'overkill' but each one of us could be a potential target and so everyone in our family will wear one of these. Please humor us and do not take them off for whatever reason."

Finally Edward sat back and regarded the three young men opposite him.

He told them of his plans to go stay home for the immediate future and to remain in semi retirement for the foreseeable future and they were shocked but happy to hear that Edward's career was not as important to him as they were.

Jackson looked thoughtful, while Nicholas looked angry and Sam looked upset as they digested everything that Edward had told them.

"Does anyone have any questions or do you have something to say?"

Jackson looked thoughtful for a moment, "Can I talk to you about this privately when I've had some time to think about things?"

Edward nodded, "Anytime, Son, and that goes for all of you. Don't feel that you can't talk to me – I promise not to judge you and I will always try to listen to what you have to say."

Jack nodded as a look passed between him and Nicholas.

Sam looked at his father, "I wonder what or who spooked Max?"

Edward shrugged, "I'm not sure, but if any of you could get some information out of him, it would be helpful, although his fear has also been a blessing in disguise because it got us thinking about personal security and a 'worst case scenario'. Just to set your minds at ease, these trackers will not be activated unless there is a threat or something happens that puts one of you in hams way and we can't find you through normal channels."

Nick began to chuckle, "Well, that's a relief! For a moment I thought that you were going to be checking up on us and tracking us down to the BD clubs that we frequent!"

His attempt at humor failed dismally when Jackson began to choke on his beer and the moment was thankfully forgotten as beer shot out of his nose. The moment was lost after that and Nicholas quickly disappeared into the tent with Sam, leaving Jackson and Edward to clean up and put their rubbish in the special bags and the metal crates that sat to one side of the campsite.

Edward decided to break the uncomfortable silence that had settled around them as they secured the refuse bin, "Sooo, would you like to expand on Nick's earlier comment?" he asked quietly.

Jackson cringed. He had never been more uncomfortable or nervous and he could feel the film of perspiration on his back as he forced himself to straighten up and look his father in the eyes as he gave a short nod.

They made their way back slowly but Edward led the way to a small clearing adjacent to where their tents were, that gave them more privacy. He sat down on one of the tree stumps that had been fashioned into stools and Jack sat down next to him.

"Dad… I – I don't know what to say." Jackson blinked at the sudden prickling sensation behind his lids. His father meant the world to him and he never wanted to disappoint him or let him down.

With a deep breath he continued, "I am… a… um, fuck this is difficult... Okay! I am a d-dominant…" he finally stammered as he stared wide eyed at Edward.

Edward felt a rush of emotion as he stared at his oldest child. Jack was like him in so many ways. He was a thinker, an over achiever, a musician and he had one of the most compassionate souls and Edward could feel his anguish from where he sat. Without thinking he reached out and put his hand on Jackson's shoulder.

"Thank God! For a moment I thought that you were going to tell me that you want to quit school and then I was really going to have to kick your ass!" Edward said.

His comment broke the tension as they shared a smile.

"I am a dominant." Jackson said again and this time he remembered what his uncle had told him and he lifted his head high and looked Edward in the eyes.

Edward smile at his tone of determination.

"You have spoken to Jasper."

Jackson frowned, "Did he tell you?"

"He didn't break your confidence," Edward hurried to assure him, "but he did tell me that I needed to connect with you and Nicholas."

Jackson relaxed slightly.

"So, I am glad that you told me. Have you had any training or mentoring?" Edward asked as he struggled to get his mind around the fact that his almost twenty years old son had just informed him that he was a Dom.

Jackson took a calming breath as he told Edward everything regarding the secret that he had been carrying around with him for so long. He was encouraged by how calm and encouraging Edward was and soon he was pouring his feelings out. He spoke of his hopes in finding a partner that he could share his chosen lifestyle with, his fears of being rejected by his friends and family if the truth should ever come out. Edward chuckled at that comment and he told Jack with some amusement that there were not many 'vanilla' relationships in their family or in their close circle of friends.

Jack smiled at his father's comment, but he was happy and relieved that Edward was talking to him so openly about his choice. They spoke for over an hour and Edward agreed with Jasper that Jackson should talk to Demetri and he should set up a meeting or get references closer to his campus, if that was what he preferred.

Jackson wasn't sure. On one hand he really wanted to focus on school. He knew that he had to keep his grades up in order to stay on the Dean's list and to maintain his scholarship but on the other hand; he wanted to find other people who were similar to himself.

He voiced his concern to his father and Edward surprised him once again by making a suggestion.

"Why don't you phone Demetri and get a couple of references from him in or around Baltimore. You can set up a couple of appointments with mentors for when you go back to school but in the meantime, you can meet with Demetri who is a very good mentor and teacher. He is fair and kind to his wife and he will be able to teach you the basics and the thought process of being a Dominant in a D/s relationship."

Jackson nodded, "That sounds like a good idea. How long does the training last for?"

Edward shook his head and laughed ruefully, "Son, training on equipment, aftercare, first aid can take about two years or so, but learning how to be a good, thoughtful, kind, loving and patient Dominant never ends. If you are blessed, you will find a partner that will satisfy you sexually, stretch you mentally and challenge you every day to be better than you were the day before."

For a moment Edward looked sad as he stared out at the darkened forest.

"Dad?"

Edward looked up and Jackson was struck by the vulnerability in his father's face, "If you ever get the chance to have that with someone, then you take it with both hands, Son. Never take her for granted, don't ever let her think that she was not good enough or strong enough for you. Submissive's are way stronger than we are. Women especially so. They give us their submission willingly and they live to please us and they do so without asking for anything in return and therein lies the power because this woman, this submissive is all that you think about. Her humble submission is the greatest gift in the world and you must never take it for granted or even let her think that you take it for granted."

Jackson knew without a doubt that Edward was talking about his mother and although a part of him was repulsed by his father's openness, he listened as Edward continued to expose his true feelings.

"Even if your submissive is never your girlfriend, you treat them with affection and respect. Build trust between you and communicate all the time." Edward shook his head as he snorted.

"I should have taken my own advice." He looked up, "But I didn't. I allowed my own insecurities to creep in and instead of treating Bella as my partner and equal. I made decisions that were selfish and thoughtless even though I tried to tell myself that I was only doing it for her! I ran away like a scared fucking rabbit instead of falling on my knees at her feet and telling her how scared and lonely I was! I hid myself in work and music and I replaced her loving with long lonely nights. Instead of honoring our union, I brushed her submission aside and deemed that she wasn't strong enough to be a sub but I was the chicken shit who was too scared to face the tough times with her!"

Edward gripped his hair as he blinked the moisture from his eyes, "I thank God every day that she forgave me."

They sat quietly for a moment until Edward wiped his face and turned to face Jackson.

"Even when you have to discipline your submissive, in whatever manner you have agreed upon, do it with love and respect. Never strike out in anger, and just like a parent with a child, you must maintain your control at all times. If she loses control and you do the same, all you will accomplish is to fill her with fear that you will not be able to control yourself when you have to. If she says 'no', or safe words, no matter how close you are to losing it; you stop immediately and without any questions or repercussion."

Jackson nodded as he held his father's gaze. He had never felt closer to the man that was his father than at that moment. Edward had let all of his masks down and had shown his complete vulnerability. His honesty was refreshing and a little daunting. If he could make mistakes, then anyone could.

Samuel stood in the shadows staring at his father and brother.

He had heard almost every word. He hadn't meant to listen to their conversation but he had been unable to sleep and had gone in search of Jack. The mummer of voices had alerted him to their location.

At the sound of Jack's voice he had stopped walking and had stayed in the shadows, listening.

He wasn't stupid; he knew that his brothers were Dominants; at least he knew that Jackson was one. He knew what that was as well because his brother's ex-girlfriends little sister had propositioned him some time before and had asked him if he was 'also into BDSM like his brother.'

It had not been difficult to do some research and although he had read a lot of crap on the internet, he had been able to find a couple of websites that made sense and didn't only highlight the sex part of BDSM.

Some of it was really odd, but for the most part, the philosophy behind BDSM and other alternative lifestyles made some sense to Sam. He had even had a couple of conversations with his 'uncle' Garrett about the lifestyle and he had wondered if his parents also practiced BDSM but he had dismissed those thoughts because although his mother was more soft spoken and gentle, he had never witnessed any display of submission from her. It was easier to believe that his father was a dominant because of his self assured temperament and quiet control. Jackson had always been the same way.

As he listened further, he heard his father comment that it was time for bed and he watched the two men move towards the tents.

"What are you doing, Sam?"

Samuel jumped about three feet into the air and only just managed to stop himself from screaming like a girl. He whirled around to face Nick who was staring at him with stern disapproval.

Nick cocked an eyebrow, "Well?"

"I…err... Um…did you…. Well… I err…shit…" he stammered as he rubbed the back of his neck.

Nicholas look pissed as he stared at his younger brother.

_What a clusterfuck this was,_ he thought as he watched Sam trying to gather his thoughts. Nick was so not ready to have this conversation with his younger brother, but short of making his father aware that Sam had been eves dropping, it was going to have to happen.

"Nick, look man, I didn't mean to listen to them," Sam whispered frantically.

Nicholas' eyebrows shot up to his hairline, "Really? Because it seemed as if that was exactly what you intended when you hid in the bushes and crouched down like some ninja."

Sam's shoulders slumped, "Okay, fine! So what now? Are you going to tell Dad?"

Nick shook his head, "I should tell Dad and Jack and they would be pissed at you for not respecting their privacy, but I think that we have had enough shit flying around for the last few days and weeks, don't you?"

Sam readily agreed.

"But this doesn't mean that you just need to keep what you heard to yourself, okay? That conversation was private and we were not supposed to hear any of it. If Dad or Jack wants to share it that it their prerogative but until then just keep your mouth shut."

"I wasn't going to tell anyone."

Nick's hard gaze didn't waiver, "No one. Not even Danny or Chris and definitely not Mom."

At that Sam chuckled, "Definitely not Mom."

Nick smiled his signature crooked smile before his eyes softened, "Do you have any questions about what you heard? Are you upset?"

Sam shrugged, "I dunno. It's a lot to think about."

Nicholas nodded, "Listen Sam; it doesn't mean that Mom is abused, okay? I don't know what you have heard about BDSM or what you know, but Dad isn't a mean bastard who beats up his wife…"

Sam blanched at his words, "Dude! I know that! Fuck, like anyone in our family would ever stand for someone who did that! Grumpy would have shot his ass off years ago!"

The two boys shared a grin.

Sam sobered up first, "Look; I am not all that shocked. I mean I knew about Jack and I have had my suspicions about you and although I didn't know about Dad, it really doesn't surprise me much. I know that he and Mom are obviously quite," He shuddered dramatically, "sexual!"

He gave Nicholas a sly look, "And it's not as if I am completely stupid either. I've done some research."

It was Nicholas' turn to be shocked, "Please tell me that you aren't a Dom?" he almost shouted.

"Shut up!" Sam hissed.

"Sorry, but fuck it, Sam, Mom would have a fucking stroke if you turned out to be like Jack and me!"

"Why? What makes me so 'special'? Or do you not think that I'm 'man enough' to be a dominant?"

"Settle down, Bro. It's nothing like that, I was just thinking of the odds. Two out of seven kids in the lifestyle aren't bad but if there were _three_, I think that Mom would stroke out!"

Sam laughed softly, "Yeah, I think that even Dad would have a tough time dealing with that – three out of four sons…"

After a moment, Sam put his hand on Nick's shoulder, "Seriously though, I am okay with this. I have even wondered if it would ever appeal to me, but no, I don't think so. I don't have the same need to control everything in my life or my surroundings that you share with the rest of the Cullen males. I also have no desire to let someone have free reign on my ass with a whip or a dildo!" he finished with a grin.

It was Nicholas' turn to be shocked.

Sam was not one to make crass or lurid jokes about sex, "Well, little brother, it seems as though you are a dark horse after all… maybe there is hope for you yet to join us on the 'dark side' after all!" Nick wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Sam laughed a bit louder this time as they turned towards the campsite.

"Nah, I think that I will leave that up to you. Come on, we'd better get some rest because you have a 'conversation' to have with our father in the morning."

Nick groaned, "Aaagh don't remind me!"

They said good night to each other at the mouth of the tent and each crawled into his own sleeping bag with a lot to think about.

Neither had noticed that Edward's tent was open or that he was wide awake.

Edward wished that Bella were there to talk to him and calm him down.

He could not believe that all three of his oldest children now knew that he was a Dom and that Bella was his submissive! He wanted to laugh and cry at the same time – thankfully Sam had not followed in his footsteps, but he knew that he had knocked both himself and Bella off their pedestals completely with his little revelation that night.

"Oh well, let the chips fall where they may, I suppose." He murmured to himself as he closed his eyes.

His last thought was of his wife.

He wondered how her day with the twins and Alexis had gone.

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella finished blow-drying her hair and she quickly tidied up the bathroom before she made her way into the suite that she was sharing with her girls. She and Alexis were sharing the master suite, while Elizabeth and Andrea were in the adjoining bedroom.

She was tired but pleasantly so. From the moment that they had arrived at Four Feathers Spa & Resort, they had been pampered and spoiled. After they were shown to their rooms, they all changed into bathing costumes, robes and matching slippers, much to the delight of the twins, who thought that it was decadent to be in their 'pjs' in the middle of the day.

They had begun with massages and face masks before they had all taken a mud bath. After they had showered the mud off, Bella and Alexis each had a wax treatment, while the twins had been treated to a special hot oil treatment for their hair, which had suffered the effects of the summer sun and water.

Lunch had been served around the pool on the covered terrace and they had all been so relaxed that they had spent the afternoon reading and playing cards.

After dinner that night, the twins had barely made it to eight thirty before they were fast asleep. She and Alexis had watched a bit of television before Bella had excused herself to shower.

She noticed that Alexis was busy on her phone as she lay sprawled on one of the two queen sized bed's in their room.

Bella smiled as she remembered how she and Edward texted each other. In the beginning of their relationship, they could not stand to be parted for more than a few hours.

Bella slipped into her bed and smiled as she picked up her own phone.

There was a text from Edward.

_***Missing you like crazy! The boys have all settled in for the night. See you tomorrow, I love you.***_

Bella's fingers flew over the small key-pad - _***We had fun today, but I miss you too. Love you Sparky***_

Bella put her phone down and looked over at Alexis. She was lying facing Bella with a teasing smile on her face.

"How is Daddy?"

Bella grinned, "He's fine – missing me. How is your beau?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "This isn't the sixteen hundreds, Mom!"

Her brown eyes twinkled, "He is fine, by the way." She said softly.

Bella smiled, "I remember when I first met your dad. He made my stomach do flip-flops."

"Does he still make your stomach do flip-flops?" Alexis asked quietly.

Bella nodded as her cheeks turned pink, "He always has, even when we were going through our 'bad patch'. There was never any question that Edward makes my toes curl!"

Bella saw a shadow cross Alexis' face, "What is it, honey?"

Alexis bit her lip before she answered, "What I don't understand is that you and Daddy are best friends, and anyone that sees you two together can see that you can barely keep your hands off each other."

She sighed sadly, "I just don't get how you have this incredible life together and yet you stopped talking to each other. I mean, if it can happen to you, then it can happen to anyone…"

Bella sat up abruptly, "Oh Lexi! Everyone has problems at some stage or another. Life isn't picture-perfect, sweetie. With your dad and I, well it's always been complicated. Communication has never been easy for us. I tend to withdraw into myself and your father tends to make these stellar and sweeping decisions without talking me and without thinking the consequences of his decision making though!" Bella let out a rueful laugh, "We just got so busy with our lives that although we 'talked' all the time, we just fell into the classic trap of forgetting to talk about us, as a couple and as individuals."

Bella wrapped her arms around her knees, "With Paul's help, we have made some adjustments and changes to our lives. There is no easy solution, Lex, love is messy and tough times will come, but we have promised to talk every day, either first thing in the morning or at night – but we talk about ourselves. Not about you kids or the bills or upcoming events or the next show or the next script, sure we make time for that but that is outside of our 'alone' time. Your father has decided to be a stay-at-home-dad for the next six months and he won't be travelling without me anymore, even if it is just for a couple of days."

"Wow, those are big changes, Mom. Are you happy about them?" Alexis knew how important music was to her father and she just couldn't imagine him not working.

"I'm very happy. This is what we need to do. We need to put each other first again. Our lives are changing so quickly. You children are growing up so fast and one of these days, it will only be the minis at home."

Bella turned to smile at Alexis, "I miss you guys so much and I love nothing more than when you are all home for the holidays, but I know that we aren't going to have that all the time either. Jack is going to be busier this year and so are you and now that you have Rio, there is going to be even less time with you! Nick is at Stanford and it's only a year before Sam is gone…"

Alexis shook her head, "Mom, you always seem to come up with the worst case scenario in your head! Even if our lives are busy, do you honestly think that we won't come home for Christmas, or summer? I mean, sure, school work may get in the way and I know that Jack is going to look for an internship, but Mom, home will always be with you and Daddy."

Bella nodded as she sniffed, "I know."

They smiled at each other before Bella reached out and she tucked a strand of hair behind Alexis' ear, "I am here for you, Alexis. No matter what you need to talk about and even though Tiffany Ann is your best friend, I just want you to know that you can always come to me to talk."

"Thanks Mom."

Alexis stifled a yawn and Bella smiled, "We should get some sleep, we still have manis and pedis tomorrow as well as our hair appointments and then we have to meet the boys at the campsite."

Alexis flopped down in bed and groaned, "Oooh! Twenty-four hours with the boys! They are going to want to clean fish and stuff! Yuk!"

Bella switched the light off as she chuckled, "It's only one day and then I'm getting married again!"

"Are you excited?" Alexis' asked quietly.

Bella snuggled against her pillow and smiled in the dark, "I won't lie to you; I was nervous at first because although Ali and Edward are siblings; Edward has no color coordination at all!"

After their laughter died down, Bella continued, "I think that it is one of the most romantic acts that your dad has ever done and even though I'm curious, well more than curious, I can't wait to see what you all came up with. I'm sure that you, Nana, Sue and Rose did a fantastic job."

There was a moment's silence.

"Mom?"

"Hmm?"

"Would it be okay if I asked Rio to be my date?"

Bella bit her lip as she thought about Alexis' request.

"Baby, I'm not sure that would be a great idea. I mean Rio was brought here to do a job and if he is a guest at the ceremony, that would mean that the security team are one person less and you don't want to put a strain on his working relationship with his colleges do you?"

Alexis sighed, "I know that you're right, but I don't want to start this relationship hiding him away as if he is someone to be ashamed of!"

"Have we ever told you who to be friends with, Alexis?"

Lex cringed as she heard the disapproval in her mother's voice.

"No," she admitted almost sulkily.

Bella nodded against her pillow.

"But," Alexis groaned.

"But what?"

"But you know that your father is going to hit the roof, right?"

"He has to get over it, Mom! I'm a grown woman!"

Bella smiled, her almost twenty year old daughter sounded more adolescent in that moment than ever before.

"Lexi, you are your daddy's little princess and no man is ever going to be good enough for you, especially one that is eleven years older than you! You will need to cut him some slack. You know that he is going to over react and you just need to be prepared for it and whatever you do, don't respond to his dramatics!"

Alexis had turned over onto her stomach and she was groaning into the fluffy pillow.

Bella chuckled, "Sorry, Kid, but over the next few weeks, you need to prepare that man for something akin to the Spanish Inquisition."

"Why don't we see how things go after the ceremony? If he isn't on duty, then perhaps he can join you guys during dinner – wait, there is dinner isn't there?"

Alexis laughed sleepily, "Do you not _know_ Nana?"

Alexis grunted as she turned over again, "I hope that Rio has a strong stomach and nerves of steel, because this isn't going to be pretty…"

Bella snorted sleepily as her eyes fluttered closed.

It was going to be a very interesting few weeks.

*ΩafloΩ*

"Daddddyyyy!" Max 'whisper-shouted' as he crawled into his father's tent. He could see Edward sleeping on the huge puffy mattress and he really wanted to climb up onto it but his bossy brothers had told him to let his daddy sleep!

Humph! What did they know, anyway? He was his daddy's 'little boss' so he was sure that it would be okay if he didn't make a noise…. Hmmm… see? Nothing happened…

Just then Edward's eyes shot opened and he roared as he picked Max up and pulled him over his chest.

"Aaaahhh! Help! Save meeeee!" Max tried to shout but he was laughing too hard as Edward blew noisy raspberries on his neck, face and chest.

Edward grunted and snorted as he 'ate' Max's baby sweet skin.

"Grrrr! Arrrgh! Who is this in my bed?" he growled.

Max giggled helplessly, "I-it's M-Max, D-ddddaddyyy! S-stop tickling!"

Edward laughed as he hugged Max on his chest, "Well, Maxwell, you were not supposed to wake Daddy up, right?"

Max huffed noisily but he nodded with a slight guilty look on his face, "But, but Daddy, I'm your helper, wemember?"

Edward kissed his forehead, "I remember, son, but I also remember hearing your brother give you some instructions." Suddenly Edward realized that it was very quiet outside and he sat up with Max on his lap, "Where are the boys?"

Max fidgeted as he tried to get off his father's lap but Edward held him firmly, "Maxwell; where are your brothers?"

"We was getting wood, and I got tired…" Max whispered into his father's chest.

Edward let out a short sigh of frustration, "Did you tell them that you are coming back to camp?"

Max stuck his bottom lip out. It was not turning out to be a very happy morning, he thought grumpily.

Just then Edward heard the other boys shouting Max's name and with a pat on his bottom, Edward sent Max outside to tell them that he was safe.

Edward quickly took the opportunity to put a pair of jeans on over his boxers and he put on socks and shoved his feet into his trainers just as world war three began outside his tent.

"MAX! YOU IDIOT! WE WERE LOOKING FOR YOU!"

"There you are! Why did you run off?"

"Why did you let him run off? You were supposed to be watching him!"

"Why me? He isn't a baby!"

"YES HE IS!"

"Am not a baby! Daddddyyyyyy!"

Edward rolled his eyes as he pulled a T-shirt out of his bag and pulled it over his head.

"HEY! HEY!" he shouted as he stood up outside.

The others turned to look at him as if they had forgotten that he was there.

Max's lip was trembling as large tears fell down his cheeks.

"Nicky called me a baby!" he said as he threw himself at his father's legs.

Edward sighed as he sat down and held Max between his legs. After a warning look at his older sons he looked at Max.

"Who were you supposed to walk with Max?"

Max sniffed loudly, "Sammy"

Edward nodded, "Did you tell Sammy that you wanted to come back to camp?"

Max shrugged as he kicked the dirt.

"Maxwell? Answer me please."

"Nooo, but Daddy, I told him to pick me up"

Edward stared into Max's eyes until Max dropped his gaze.

"Max, look at me," Edward said quietly.

Max's tears fell faster. He knew that he had done the wrong thing but he had been so bored and he was tired of walking and Sammy had refused to pick him up…

"Max, this is important. You remember how you have been worried about getting lost or stolen over the past few weeks?"

Max nodded.

"I wemember, Daddy."

"Well, when you are out with your older brothers, sister, cousins, aunts or uncles and they tell you to stay with them, _you have to do what they say_ because otherwise they will think that you are lost, even if you aren't and then we are going to start looking for you! Do you understand?" Edward didn't want to frighten him, but he needed Maxwell to understand that he had to obey the older members of their family.

Max nodded slowly, "I think so… even if I'm not lost, they will think that I am lost and then they will wowy about me?"

Edward nodded, "That's right, and then we will set off all sorts of alarms and there will be lots of people looking for you."

Max sucked his lip into his mouth as he thought about what Edward had said. He turned around and saw that his brothers didn't look angry anymore.

He looked back at Edward, "I'm sowwy Daddy." He whispered.

Edward nodded and wiped his tears away with his thumbs before he nodded and motioned behind him, "I think that you owe some other people an apology, don't you?"

Max nodded and he walked hesitantly over to where Sam was helping Nick to light the barbeque for breakfast.

Max pulled on Sam's shorts, "Sowwy Sam."

Sam knelt down so that he was eye level with Max, "I was scared when I turned around and you were gone, Max."

Max's eyes widened, "Weally? You were fwitened that I was lost?"

Sam nodded seriously, "Of course, Max. You are our brother and we love you and no one can ever take your place, Buddy."

Nicholas came to kneel down next to them and Jack quickly walked over to kneel on the other side of Max.

"I was worried too, Max," Nick said.

"I was worried most of all, because I'm the big brother of all of you and it's my job to keep you safe. If something had happened to you, I would never forgive myself." Jackson said quietly.

"You called me a baby." Max said with a hint of his former pout.

Edward smiled because Max had Bella's pout down pat and he knew how to use it!

Jackson nodded, "I know, but I didn't mean that you are a _baby_, like a real baby; I meant that you are _The_ baby of our family. Just like Aunty Ali is the 'baby' of Daddy's family." At Max's frown Jackson explained, "It's not that she is a baby, but she is the youngest. I should have said that. You are the youngest and because of that we all need to look out for you."

Max looked over at Edward, "Do you and Uncle Em look after Aunty Ali?" he asked curiously.

Edward nodded, "We sure do! Even now, if Aunty Ali is sad or upset and she comes to us, then we will look after her. That's our jobs as big brothers."

Max thought about it for a moment before he turned to look at his brothers.

"I didn't mean to make you fwitened. I will listen to you, even if I'm not a _weal_ baby." He said.

After getting a hug, Edward turned everyone's attention towards preparing and cooking breakfast and he wondered for the hundredth time how Bella managed the squabbling and bickering every day.

When he laughed aloud, and Nick asked what he was laughing about, Edward told them what he had been thinking.

Over breakfast, Edward decided to share some of his stories of their younger days with them.

When he had stayed home with the children, they had been much younger. The twin girls had only been six. Samuel had been thirteen, while Nicholas was fourteen and the older twins had been fifteen.

It had seemed easier to maintain order when they had been so young, Edward thought. Alexis had been a godsend as she had helped with Andrea and Beth, while he had always been able to count on Jackson to make sure that Nicholas and Sam had been ready for school.

As they finished preparing and cooking breakfast, they swapped many stories of Edward's parenting efforts which had them laughing uproariously.

Max listened to their stories for a while until frowned and he asked innocently, "Where was Mommy, Daddy? Why didn't she take us for ice-cream after Lexis's soccer practice like she does now for Drea?"

Edward smiled sadly, "Well, honey, before you were born, when you were still a little bean in mommy's tummy, she was sick and so she had to stay in bed for a long time, so that's why I took care of you."

Max thought about that for a moment before he picked up his half-eaten egg and bacon sandwich and nodded, "But Momma's better now, huh Daddy?"

Edward nodded, "Yep, she is all better, but that brings me to something that I wanted to talk to you all about."

When they were looking at him, Edward realized how nervous he was to tell them about his plans to stay home. It was Sam's last year before college and Edward wondered how he would accept the new turn of events.

"Well, your mom and I have been speaking and I am going to withdraw from producing and recording for the next six months at least, perhaps longer."

He could see how shocked his oldest kids were, while Max tried to work out the significance of his announcement.

"But – why? I mean is it viable for you to take such a long time off? What about your current commitments and contracts? Will Rocking Horse face any lawsuits?" Nicholas, ever the businessman, asked first.

Edward's mouth curled up in a crooked smile, "Well, it's nice to know that you have my best interests at heart, Son, but to answer your questions: I have not signed any new production contracts personally, so as long as Rocking Horse still oversees production, we are fine." He looked around, "Next question?"

Jackson smiled at him, "So what are you going to do all day long?"

Edward grinned broadly, "Well, I am going to stay home with your mother and support her work. She has a new show coming up at the beginning of next year and she wants to try something new, a 'multimedia' technique that she wants to experiment with. I want to be there to do the school run, make afternoon snacks, help with homework and spend as much time with you and your mother as possible. We are going to go on date nights and days and hopefully we will be able to come and visit you guys for a weekend here and there? You know, just when your mom begins to get 'angsty'?"

The boys shared a look and a laugh because they knew exactly what Edward was talking about. If they didn't make it home for spring break or at least for Easter, then Bella tended to phone them at all hours and she wasn't beyond making them feel extremely guilty for not coming home.

After they had finished tidying up from breakfast, Edward received a text from Bella, informing him that they expected to arrive mid afternoon.

He smiled because that was just enough time for the guys to have some bonding time.

"Hey, what would you think about going for a hike?"

Everyone agreed and as soon as they had changed, they began to 'hike' through the woods. It was really more of a nature walk and Edward had chosen one of the easier trails so that Max wouldn't tire too easily.

Edward walked at the back of their little troop and he noticed when after about ten minutes, Nicholas slipped back to walk beside him.

Of all of his children, Nicholas was probably the most analytical of all of his children. He seldom made a comment or took any action without having given it plenty of thought first. The wonderful thing about him was that with that control, he was warmhearted and thoughtful. And his powers of persuasion were legendary, amongst the family and amongst his peers at school.

"So, Dad…" Nick swallowed nervously. He was nervous about what his father was going to say to him.

"Nick? Just say what's on your mind, Son."

"Okay – I think that I am a dominant."

Edward pursed his lips as his eyebrows shot up, "You think?"

Nick shrugged, "Well, there are aspects of the lifestyle that intrigue me and appeal to me, but I don't think that I am ready to dive in to the deep end like Jack is."

Edward thought about that for a minute, "Well then, my advice to you would be to take a step back – for as long as you need to. This isn't something that you just rush into, Nick. There are other people involved that could end up getting hurt, physically and emotionally and the last thing that you want to do as an eighteen year old is to do something that will put you in a therapists chair for the next twenty years."

Nick nodded, "I have tried to be supportive of Jackson, you know? He had a struggle coming to terms with his choice. I don't even think that it was so much of a choice for him – more like a calling that he had to answer."

Edward nodded – he knew exactly what that was like, he had been the same.

"Do you think that you 'decided' to be a Dom just to support your brother?"

Edward could see the answer in Nicholas' eyes before he answered him, "Maybe? But, there are aspects of the lifestyle that I kind of like…"

Edward smirked, "What aspects? Whips and chains? Leather corsets? Rope and handcuffs?"

He laughed at the mortified look on Nick's face, "Come on Nick, I'm not naïve, I was eighteen once you know."

Edward stopped walking and turned to face his son, "Look, of course that appeals to you, Nicholas. You are a young man with a healthy appetite. Just because those things turn you on, does not mean that you are primed to become a Dominant. Being a Dom is more mental than physical. It's way more than sex. Some Doms and subs don't even have a sexual relationship at all."

Nick had heard that before, but that had never appealed to him.

Edward continued, "Believe me; most 'vanilla' couples have a little kink in their sex lives. There is nothing wrong with that, as you don't try and do something that you don't know about and you end up hurting someone or yourself."

They began to walk again.

"So, do you think that Jack will be angry with me?"

Right then Edward saw Nicholas' anguish. His children were close and Nicholas didn't want to hurt or upset his best friend and brother.

Edward put a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I think that it will be a load off his mind actually. I think that he feels responsible for the choices that you have made and he is worried that he somehow influenced your choice. Talk to your brother and clear the air and then try dating first."

Nicholas felt as if a heavy weight had just been lifted off his shoulders. He had wrestled with this for a while now, and he was happy that his father had been able to help him make up his mind.

"Thanks, Dad." Nick said quietly just as they drew closer to the others.

"Hey Nick, do you want to give Max a piggy back for a bit?" Sam asked as he walked backwards with Max on his shoulders.

Nick nodded and he squeezed his father's hand before he hurried up front.

Edward smiled as he watched Nick, Jack, Sam and Max as they joked and laughed with each other.

He wasn't naive enough to think that all of their troubles were over – far from it, but he was heartened by the fact that he knew that he wasn't a bad father, he loved his children and he was willing to do whatever it took to ensure that each of them knew that.

*ΩafloΩ*

When Bella and the girls joined them later on that afternoon, the older children quickly made themselves scarce by taking the minis onto the lake in their canoes.

Edward could hear their laughter in the background as he pulled Bella tightly against him and his tongue demanded entry into her mouth.

"Hmmm, fuck I missed you, Baby." Edward groaned when they came up for air.

Bella nodded as she took a trembling breath, "Me too!" Bella pulled him over to a couple of tree stumps where she sat down and waited for him to do the same.

"How was it? Was it bad? Did you and Sam get into a fight?"

Edward waited until Bella has run out of breath before he leaned forward and kissed her gently.

"You are so beautiful, do you know that?"

Bella frowned, "What? Edward, what are you talking about – I'm trying to have a very important conversation here!"

Edward grinned before he sat back and held his hands up in surrender, "Okay! Well, I've found out some things that may surprise you, but because we have promised that there are no secrets," he held up his hand in a fist so that his tattoo was showing.

Bella rolled her eyes at him, "Secrets? This sounds bad…" she mumbled.

Edward shook his head, "There is nothing bad, but our children are growing up and you need to remember that…"

With that, Edward told Bella about their camping trip so far. She shed a couple of tears but what really shocked him was that she was not surprised to learn that Jackson was a dominant and that Nick wasn't one.

It was Edward's turn to gape, "How are you not shocked?"

Bella smiled, "Sweetheart, you forget that I am a submissive and I have been around my Dom to recognize typical 'Dominant' traits."

Edward had thought that she would be gnashing her teeth at the news. "Are you not mad at me for this?"

Bella frowned, "Why should I be mad at you? Did you 'turn' him into some ass-slapping fiend?" she asked sarcastically.

Edward shook his head, "No! Of course not, but…"

Bella held up her hand to silence him as she laughed at his outraged expression, "Edward you and I both have firsthand knowledge that this lifestyle comes from within if it isn't some teenaged boy's fantasy. Anyone can pretend to be something that they aren't - for a time, but you know as well as I do that you can't really fake being a Dom or a sub. Not really, so Nick would have realized it sooner or later, when someone took a whip to his ass, maybe?"

Edward knew that his son would never have submitted to anyone, let alone allowed himself to be whipped or tied up. He was far too arrogant for that.

"That is how I know that Jackson is cut from the same cloth that you are, Edward. I just want to make sure that he finds a great mentor. One that will help mold him, not break him like that animal almost did to Jazz."

"You are taking this very lightly," Edward said quietly.

"No, not at all, but it would be pointless to freak out about this. Our kids are growing up and they are individuals. They are going to make some life choices that we won't always agree with, but we are going to have to respect if we want to have the kind of relationship with them that we have had up until now."

Edward nodded in agreement.

They were quiet for a time as they got lost in their own thoughts. The sound of their children laughing and splashing nearby was music to their ears.

Bella let out a breath, "Okay, in the spirit of 'full disclosure', there is something that I need to tell you and I don't want you to freak out. Promise me that you are not going to have a fit, or a heart attack, please."

Edward could feel his heart begin to pound almost painfully, but he just nodded.

"Okay, well, Alexis and I have done quite a bit of talking over the past couple of days," Bella put her hand out and covered Edward's clenched fist on his lap, "Baby, please, you have to understand – she likes him and he sounds like a nice young man…"

Bella stopped talking when she saw that Edward was turning an alarming shade of red.

She watched as his eyes became dark and menacing and the veins on the side of his neck began to stand out.

"Edward…"

"Don't!" he shook off her hand as he jumped to his feet and he strode across the campsite.

Bella let out a sigh as she waited and watched.

Edward was mumbling under his breath as he paced backwards and forwards, clutching his hair in one fist while he clenched and unclenched his fist.

"….make him swallow his fucking tongue! The little ass! ... don't know who the little snot thinks he is …. dig a deep hole…"

When Edward paused to take a breath, he realized that Bella was still sitting where he had left her.

He shook his head, "It's that kid, isn't it? The one from the basement?"

Bella bit her lip as she nodded slowly, "She is a beautiful young woman, Edward and if she is going to fall in love with someone, then I would rather it be with someone that we trust…"

Edward scowled, "Trust? That's a joke! I don't trust that little fucker one little bit! And why are you talking about 'love'? She has known him for a fucking day! How can she love him?" Edward's voice had risen steadily until Bella got up and hurried over to him.

She put her hands on his arms as he clutched his head in his hands.

"Edward, baby, please don't overreact," she said gently. Mentally she was rolling her eyes but outwardly Bella stayed calm and reasonable. She knew that in order to calm Edward down, she was going to need to take drastic action.

With a quick look over her shoulder to make sure that the children were still otherwise occupied, Bella quickly pulled Edward deeper into the surrounding woods.

"Wha?"

"Shh! Just come with me!"

"Where are we going?"

Bella spotted a perfect location for what she had in mind – a fallen tree. She quickly pulled him towards it and spun him around so that he was half sitting on the log and she wasted no time in kneeling before him as her fingers flew to his zipper.

"What? OH!"

Edward's eyes flew open in shock and then shut tightly as her lips closed around his cock. Instantly he hardened as her lips and tongue began to move over the sensitive skin. Edward's hands found their way to the back of her head. As Edward tugged on her hair, Bella took him deeper into her mouth, massaging his cock with her tongue.

"Fuck, baby that feels so good."

Bella hummed as she opened her throat.

Edward grunted as he began to rock his hips, the feeling of her warm, wet mouth taking as much of him as possible was almost too much to bare.

He felt his orgasm all too soon and with a muffled shout, he came in a burst. Bella swallowed quickly and let her tongue gently sooth him as he softened.

Once she had cleaned him up, she wiped the corners of her mouth with a smirk and tucked him back into his shorts before she zipped him back up and stood up.

Edward had a silly grin on his face as Bella reached up and kissed his chin.

"That was – unexpected."

Bella smiled, "Are you feeling more relaxed?"

Edward nodded.

Bella patted his chest, "Then I have succeeded and my job is done," she said before she turned and began walking back to the camp.

Edward blinked to clear his foggy brain before he took off after her. He snaked an arm around her tiny waist and pulled her up against a tree.

Bella giggled as she pressed her back against the rough bark of the tree. Edward planted his hands over her head as he leaned towards her. His eyes were dark and dangerous and Bella felt anticipation curl in her stomach.

"You think that your job done, Isabella?"

Bella swallowed and licked her lips, "M-maybe?" she squeaked.

Edward smirked. He moved so that his nose brushed against the side of her jaw.

"Maybe?"

Bella felt her panties dampen. Her light sundress was thin and she could feel the heat of his body. She swallowed again.

"Yes?" she whispered.

"Hmm. It seems to me as though you are trying to play me, Isabella? Are you trying to play me?"

Bella's nipples hardened painfully.

"Yes, Sir, I- I mean, no, Sir,"

Edward chuckled, "I think that you are and I think that you are going to find out what happens to naughty little girls if they try to 'handle' their masters."

Bella felt goose bumps break out over her neck and arms as she felt his hot breath trail over her jaw.

His lips captured hers in a light kiss before he pushed himself away from her and stood up.

"Let's go and see what the kids are up to, shall we?" he asked in a pleasant tone.

Bella blinked.

_What had just happened?_

She took Edward's outstretched hand and they began to walk back to the camp in silence.

"Um, what did you mean back there?" she asked as they got back to the clearing.

Edward smiled down at her with a glint in his eyes, "You'll find out later, Little Girl."

The rest of the day passed quickly and that night, the family had a barbeque and afterwards, Edward, Jackson and Nicholas took turns in playing their guitars. Alexis asked her mother about what Edward had said earlier and Bella told her to give him some time to get used to the idea of her with someone.

They made smores and sat around the fire talking until one by one they trailed off to bed.

When it was just the two of them, Bella looked up from poking the embers with a stick to see Edward staring at her.

Suddenly, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. Bella couldn't look away from his eyes, which appeared black in the shadows.

"Are you ready for bed, my love?"

Bella nodded.

The smile on Edward's lips was almost sinister as he nodded, "Why don't you go ahead while I make sure that everything is secure for the night. Everything that you need is under your pillow, sweetheart."

Bella gasped quietly. She was well aware that although they were talking softly, they could still be overheard by their children. She knew that Edward's words held another meaning altogether and she had to force herself not to race to their tent.

She felt his heated gaze on her back as she walked slowly, careful not to trip in the dark.

Once she was inside the tent, she let out a shaky breath and looked around. Edward had left a LED lamp burning and Bella was torn between laughter and outrage when she looked under her pillow and saw a ball gag and nipple clamps.

As she was about to walk outside and demand to know what the hell Edward thought he was up to, she felt the heat from his chest against her back.

"Is there a problem, Baby?" he whispered as his fingers stroked her stomach.

Bella shrugged, "I don't think that this is appropriate Edward. The children…"

"Are all sleeping"

"But"

"If you can keep quiet, there will be no reason to raise the alarm, will there, baby girl?"

Bella peeped and nodded quickly.

"Good girl, now get undressed and lie down on the bed for me."

Bella took her clothes off quickly aware that Edward was watching her with keen interest.

Once she was naked, she lay down on the bed on her back and looked up at the ceiling.

Edward had removed his clothes and was standing quietly in the corner.

The space in the tent seemed smaller as the lamp didn't penetrate the darkness fully.

His face and upper torso was hidden in darkness and Bella felt her heart fluttering as he walked forward.

Once he was at the foot of the bed, he put his knees on the mattress and crawled upwards slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I love you."

His voice calmed her nerves and Bella found herself smiling at him, "I love you too."

"What color are you?"

"Green"

There was no hesitation in her voice and that gave Edward his queue that he had not pushed her too far.

Edward leaned down and kissed the skin behind her ear, "You have to stay very quiet, love. Would you like me to help you do that?"

Bella shivered.

"Please, Master."

Edward pulled back and kissed Bella with passion before he placed the gag in her mouth.

He picked up the nipple clamps and after stimulating her nipples to a point just short of pain, he attached them before he moved down her stomach.

Bella had made peace with the thin scares that were only visible if a person looked very closely, and she had accepted that they were badges of honor from the birth of the girls, Max's birth and her tummy tuck.

After having given birth to seven children, Bella's body was in remarkable shape but she was very conscious of the stretch marks and skin that had stretched out across her stomach. She had begged Edward to let her have surgery to have that part of herself partially restored and although Edward had no problem with how her body looked, he agreed on condition that she not have any further elective surgery.

The operation had been a resounding success and the plastic surgeon was able to cut away the small amount of over stretched skin and slight 'tummy purse' and it had helped to heal Bella's self esteem at the time.

Now, as she lay beneath her husband, Bella's fingers twisted in his unruly hair as he kissed and licked his way to her waiting aching center.

She pulled his hair slightly and immediately felt an echo tug on the chain between her breasts.

"Greedy…" Edward said as he moved down to where she throbbed.

When Edward's lips closed around her clit, Bella's back arched upwards as the mind-blowing sensations washed over her.

"Nnnngh!" she moaned around the gag.

Edward lifted his head for a moment, letting his thumb flick over the swollen, ruby bud.

"Sh baby girl. You don't want to get the kids coming in here do you?"

She shook her head frantically.

Edward chuckled, "No, I didn't think so. You don't want them to see what a greedy girl their mother is, do you?"

Bella shook her head again.

"You don't want me to stop either do you? No, my girl wants to cum so badly, don't you? I thought so… look at you all pretty and sweaty and blushing… such a pretty baby girl. Look at these beautiful buds all pinched and achy … if I twist the clamp like this," he demonstrated by pulling and twisting the clamp around her nipple and the red hot sensation was almost enough to send her over the edge – almost.

Edward looked up from his handiwork to her wide eyes filled with lust and need, "You're close – do you want to cum now or around my cock?"

"Gungh" she huffed.

Edward chuckled, "That's what I thought you would say." He leaned down and kissed the side of her mouth, ignoring the drool that ran down her chin.

"Put your hands above your head,"

Bella obeyed immediately.

Edward lined his leaking cock up with her sopping entrance and he held her gaze steadily as he slid inside her heat.

"Fuck me! Every time, baby. Every fucking time with you is like the first time! Can you feel what you do to me?" His words warmed and tickled her ear as he whispered dark, sexy things to her.

Bella had lost feeling in her fingers as she clasped them together. The sensations that Edward was creating inside her was mind-blowing. Every movement was deep and deliberate and she could feel how her walls hugged him, trying to suck him in deeper.

Edward braced himself on the mattress and he tilted his hips so that the tip of his cock began to massage the secret spongy place that drove Bella crazy.

"Stay still, or I will stop."

Bella stopped writhing as her elusive climax spiraled inside her. She felt every vein inside her gather blood and dilate at with a last twist of her swollen clit and a command from Edward, she fell apart.

It seemed as though it took hours for Bella to stop feeling the aftershocks of her orgasm. Edward lay on one side, stroking her limbs until she was back with him and her mind had cleared. Only then did he warn her before he removed the nipple clamps and massaged the swollen nubbins with his tongue, laving them until she felt her body tingle all over again.

It took Edward almost an hour to bring her to orgasm again, this time with his tongue and fingers as he watched her.

When he moved the gag, he gently massaged Bella's jaw before he handed her a bottle of icy water from a small cooler box.

He pulled a wash cloth that was wrapped in plastic wrap and washed her gently before he dried her with a small, fluffy towel as Bella lay with jello-like limbs.

Once she was clean and refreshed, Edward stood up and fetched one of his T-shirts and a pair of Bella's boyshorts and he dressed her before pulling on a pair of cotton boxers and at last he lay down next to her.

Bella stretched out before she curled up against him, with her head on his shoulder, one leg flung over his hips and a hand curled up under her chin.

Edward glanced at the digits on his phone – he couldn't believe that it was almost two a.m. and that they had made love for almost two hours! He gave himself a mental fist bump!

"Are you sleeping?" Bella whispered.

"No, I'm not tired. You?"

"Not tired either, well not mentally, at least."

She shifted and rolled onto her side and propped her head up so that she could see his face.

"Can we talk?"

Edward copied her position, "Sure, what's on your mind?"

Bella bit her lip, "Lexi; she worships you Edward and if you give her a hard time about this, you may drive her away and she already lives thousands of miles away from us…"

Edward sighed, "I know," he looked away to hide the rush of moisture to his eyes, but Bella knew him too well. She gently turned his face towards her, "I feel the same way, Darling. It's going to be okay."

His long eyelashes cast shadows on his cheeks as he looked away for a moment, "I know, but she is so young, baby and he is a fucking old man compared to her! What does he want with our little Lexi?" he whined.

Bella bit back her smile as she lifted her hand and ran her fingers through his hair. He needed a haircut again, she thought.

Bella stayed quiet as Edward gathered his thoughts.

At last he looked at Bella.

"I feel as if we are going to lose her." He whispered.

Bella smiled tenderly, "Oh baby, we will never lose Alexis. She will always be your girl and she will always need her daddy."

She opened her arms and Edward laid his head on her chest as she ran her fingers though his unruly hair and he closed his eyes.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"I want to hate him."

"I know you do."

Sigh.

"_You_ will always be my girl."

Her soft lips pressed against his forehead, "I know, baby, I know."

"We are getting married again"

"Yes"

His fingers worked under his shirt until they were curled around a warm breast. He sighed in contentment.

"Love you."

"Love you too."

Bella didn't mind that Edward clung to her for the rest of the night. She relished the feeling of his hard body curled around hers and the way that his possessive hands would hold her in place is she moved too far away.

It seemed as though every screen and defense mechanism that they had ever had up around themselves had tumbled down and Bella loved every moment of their new closeness. She knew that the next few days were not going to be easy and that Edward was bound to over react at times, but she was looking forward to the start of their new life.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: I know that I said that I was going to cover the camping trip and the wedding, but there was just too much going on and I don't think that you want a 25 000 word chapter! And so, my lovelies, I will post the next 'wedding' chapter in a few days time so that I don't leave you hanging for too long. There have been some questions and so I've put together a little Q&A where I will answer what I can over the next few chapters. Thank you all so much for your support and for reading this story,**

**Michele**

**Q: What are the ages of everyone?**

**A: Well I screwed this up back in chapter 1 but I have since corrected it – **

EDWARD – 45

BELLA – 42

JACKSON & ALEXIS – 19

NICHOLAS – 18

SAMUAL MASEN (AKA SAM) – 16

ELIZABETH ALICE & ANDREA ROSE – 10 (FRATERNAL TWIN GIRLS)

MAXWELL (AKA MAX) – 4

Emmett and Rosalie live at Cullen Crest where Emmett has been running the vineyard for the past twenty years. Rosalie owns a chain of Interior Design stores.

EMMETT – 48

ROSALIE – 46

JOSHUA – 20

JARED – 19

MCCARTHY (MACK) – 14

REBECCA – 6

THE WHITLOCKS

While Jasper works with Edward, Alice's fashion designs are in demand all over the world. She still works from her studio on the ranch, and her production line is run in the town.

JASPER – 47

ALICE – 44

TIFFANY ANNE – 20

CHRISTOPHER HEATH – 18

DANIEL JASPER – 17

CARLISLE CULLEN - 67

ESME CULLEN – 64

CHARLIE SWAN – 65

SUE CLEARWATER SWAN – 60

Seth is the district attorney for the Napa Valley region. He married Jesse and they live in Napa.

SETH CLEARWATER-SWAN – 37

JESSE CLEARWATER-SWAN – 35

CASEY CLEARWATER-SWAN – 7

ISABELLE CLEARWATER-SWAN – 4

Garrett and Kate live in Sausalito and Garrett owns a string of clubs, one of which, DAWN RISING, is a BDSM CLUB in San Francisco as well as BREAKING DAWN and RISING MOON on the West Coast. Kate is a stay at home mother.

GARRETT NOMAD – 49

KATE NOMAD – 48

STEVEN – 18

KIRSTY – 10


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.

*ΩafloΩ*

**WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!

A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US

CHAPTER 11

*ΩafloΩ*

Bella woke up early the next morning all hot and sweaty. Edward was still sleeping, with his head firmly pressed into her abdomen and his hand clasping her breast as if it was a life jacket.

Bella tried to roll him to one side without waking him, but his grip on her boob just tightened.

Bella huffed impatiently, "Babe; wake up, I have to pee. Edward!"

Edward growled as he was roused from a particularly arousing dream only to find that Bella wasn't gripping his shoulders in ecstasy, but she was trying to push him away!

"Whaaat? What the? Babbbyy, I'm trying to sleep here!"

Bella managed to wiggle out of his grasp, "Yeah well, I need to pee!"

She hurried out of their tent and across the clearing to where the portable toilets were located.

Afterwards she decided to shower, in spite of the early hour. When she walked back into the tent, she noticed that Edward was sprawled diagonally across the bed and she took a few seconds to admire his ass and back.

At forty-five years of age, when most men were letting themselves go and their waists began to sag and thicken, Edward was as trim and fit as he had been in his twenties. Thankfully, he hadn't been plagued with stray and aggressive body hair, like Emmett, who now had a standing appointment to have his back and shoulders waxed, as well as an appointment to have his random facial hair plucked.

Bella rolled her eyes as she gathered clean underwear and clothes as well as her toiletries and towel and she made her way to the shower.

The cold water was startling but refreshing. Bella dressed quickly and went about preparing breakfast because she knew how hungry the children were when they were outside all day.

Sam was the first to join her and after he had showered and dressed, he helped Bella to chop scallops, peppers, tomatoes as well as some fresh herbs for the Spanish omelets that she was going to make.

"Have you spoken to your dad?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He said with a saucy grin.

"Smartass!"

Sam got serious, "Mom, I'm so sorry about what I said to you and dad. I never meant to disrespect or hurt you. Dad explained some things to me and I know that there was other stuff that both of you were dealing with."

Sam looked over to the tent where Edward was still sleeping before he looked back at his mother.

"I only want you to be happy, Mom. I know that we don't always make it easy for you,"

Bella began to speak but Sam held up his hand, "Seriously Mom, there are seven of us, well eight with Dad! What I'm trying to say is that I'm just glad that you and Dad are going to be okay, especially with this being my last year at home…"

Bella smiled lovingly, "Well, Dad and I are looking forward to visiting you at Notre Dame. I can't say that I've ever spent much time in Indiana, except for when your dad and I took our epic road trip, way back in the day!" Bella wasn't looking at Sam when she spoke and she missed the look of discomfort on his face.

Sam was so afraid that his parents and grandparents were going to be so disappointed when he finally told them that he didn't want to go to the prestigious university any longer.

_His plan as a child had been to attend the school with his cousin Daniel and to major in Sports Science so that they could open a Sports clinic together, in the San Francisco area. But those plans had changed over the past year._

_Samuel had always loved photography and he had shared his mother's love of the lens from an early age. In the past year, he had felt the direction of his passions change. _

_He wanted to go to the Rhode Island School of Design –one of the most prestigious schools in the country. After Spring Break, Sam had contacted his god-father and mentor, Riley Govender, who was his mother's agent and long time friend._

_After hearing about Sam's struggle, Riley had immediately put him onto an airplane to New York, where he lived with his wife Arielle, and their fifteen-year-old daughter, Sadie. He had made the excuse to Bella and Edward that he had missed seeing his godson and he wanted him to attend a new gallery opening with him._

_Sam had taken his portfolio with him and after Riley and Arielle had poured over the photographs for hours, Riley had turned to his godson with a smile, "You are so talented, Sam. With a little practice and tuition, you will be at least as good as Bella. What interests me though is your subject choice."_

_He flipped backwards almost to the beginning of the file and began to point out photographs and some pencil drawings that he had done, "Here and here … here. You seem to be drawn to inanimate and natural objects. You have such a good eye for light and shadows."_

_He sat back and smiled, "This is amazing Samuel. I never realized that this was where your passion lay."_

_Sam blushed with pleasure at the complement and it was so much like Bella that Riley couldn't help but smile teasingly._

_Sam shifted uncomfortably, "Well, Uncle Riley, the thing is that I haven't told anyone but, my art teacher suggested that I look into art schools as an alternative to Notre Dame and I have done some research and the only school that I want to attend is the Rhode Island School of Design, but I think that the folks are going to freak! Well, Mom will for sure, but I think that I really want to go there."_

_Riley looked over at Arielle. She had been his partner for almost twenty years and she had a great eye for spotting talent. She gave him an almost imperceptible nod. _

_Riley knew that this was something that Sam had to talk to his parents about but if he could help Sam he would._

_He knew the various faculty heads very well at RISD and often arranged showings of the students work._

"_Well, I know for a fact that they conduct tours and some sit in classes on Saturdays. Would you like to attend tomorrow?"_

_Sam's eyes grew wide, "You mean it? You can do that? I mean, I know that you can but – are you sure?"_

"_Of course I'm sure, son. Art is my life and I may not be able to draw a stick figure, but I know talent and you have it. Sure, it may be a little rough right now, but you are only sixteen, so there is plenty of time for you to develop. One of the most important things is making sure that you have the best teachers available to bring out your best and the teachers and professors at RISD are the very best."_

_Just then Arielle called them to dinner. Over dinner, Sam and Sadie chatted together. Sadie attended The Brearley School, a private school in New York and although she was a little undecided about what she wanted to study, Sam knew that she was an incredible dancer. Sadie was a tiny young woman, who had her father's bright blue eyes, and her mother's long blonde hair and petite figure. Her laugh never failed to make everyone around her smile._

"Sam?" his mother's voice brought him back to the present.

"Sorry!"

"What had you so deep in thought just then?"

Bella noticed the deep blush in her son's cheeks.

"Nothing – just thinking about when I went to see Uncle Riley back in February. Are they still coming?"

Bella hid a smile and nodded, "Yep, we have a few unscheduled guests for the weekend. Riley, Arielle and Sadie will be here this afternoon, and then Dad's friend, Peter may also be joining us."

Bella and Arielle had their suspicions that their children had a sweet spot for each other, but so far nothing had come of it but a great friendship.

Sam wrinkled his nose, "Peter North? Is he out of rehab again?"

"Sam, don't judge people. Yes, he called Dad the other day and asked if he could come and see us. Apparently this time he is promising to stay sober. He's been clean for about six months now."

Sam shook his head, he didn't like the guy – none of his siblings did. Peter was creepy and he made them all uncomfortable. Ever since his wife, Charlotte had divorced him and she had taken their two children and fled to her parents in London, Peter had not been able to hold a job or stay drug and alcohol free for longer than three months.

_Unfortunately the opportunity that Edward had given Peter years before that had catapulted Edward into the heart of the entertainment industry had all but destroyed Peter North and his family._

_Blinded by their unprecedented success, Peter had found the 'high life' in Hollywood came with a huge price tag attached, especially if a person lost direction by getting turned around by the greed, the readily available sex, booze and drugs that could turn someone from a highly talented individual into a sleaze ball who would do anything for the next fix, the next sexual partner, the next high._

_The first time that Charlotte had contacted Edward, was when Peter had struck her when she had berated him for leaving her and his children, who were then babies for three days to go on a drunken, drug-induced binge._

_Edward and Bella had dropped everything and had caught the first flight to Los Angeles._

_Edward had insisted that Peter get help and he had paid for him to be admitted to the most exclusive rehabilitation center in the United States._

_Peter's sobriety had lasted the longest that time at just shy of eighteen months._

_Since that time, almost fifteen years before, Peter had been in and out of rehab no less than twelve times. Every time he contacted Edward, it was either for money under the guise of wanting a job. Edward extended his hand time and again as he used his contacts to keep Peter employed, only to have Peter either not pitch after a few days, or his last job was terminated when he assaulted a messenger who 'looked at him funny'._

_Peter hadn't seen his two sons, Gavin and Jason, in almost four years and while Charlotte was grateful for the amount of time that her family gave to her and the boys, she was even more grateful for how Bella and Edward had made a point of including herself and her sons in family vacations or inviting the boys to join them for school holidays._

Bella shrugged out of the funk cloud that she had become shrouded in and leaned over to pat Sam's hand, "Just stay out of his way, okay? I know that you kids don't like him, but he is your dad's friend, so let's try and make this weekend drama-free, hmm?"

Sam shrugged, "Don't look at me, Mom; you need to tell Jack and Nick to back off."

No more was said as Bella began to cook breakfast and the smell of eggs, bacon, sausages and toast soon had everyone tumbling out of bed and over to the outdoor table. Breakfast was a noisy affair with everyone excited about the upcoming weekend.

The family quickly cleaned up the campsite, making sure that the refuse had been placed into the large metal bins that would be emptied later in the day by the maintenance staff and that the tents were broken down and packed up.

Edward stopped everyone from dispersing and he took out the pretty bracelets that he and Bella had decided to give the twins and Alexis. Instead of the Cullen crest bracelets, they had decided to have three bracelets titanium that had infinity bows as a center charm on each one.

Edward explained that the bracelets were never to be removed and that they were a very special gift that would keep the girls safe. Alexis knew that there was more to the gifts but she didn't say anything in front of the minis.

With a final sweep of the area, Edward suggested a last walk along the shore. He and Bella walked hand in hand as they watched their seven children skim stones into the clear lake and chase the small waves on the shore.

"Are you happy, Love?" Edward asked as he brushed Bella's hair out of her face.

Bella turned in his arms and slipped her hands around his waist, "This was one of the best 'holidays' that we have ever had as a family."

"I know what you mean; it really seems as if we have turned the corner, baby. I haven't had a chance to talk to Lexi yet, but I promise that I will and I will try to keep an open mind about that little, um, about _him_."

Bella pulled back from their embrace and she smiled up at Edward, "That's all that she wants, Darling. Your approval is so important to her."

Edward sighed as he looked to where Alexis was standing next to her brothers. Her long tanned legs were bare in the cut off denim shorts and bikini top. Her hair was pulled up into a messy pony-tail. Her nut-brown eyes sparkled with mirth as she joked with Sam and Nicholas. Jackson was playing with the minis and Edward's heart stuttered at the sound of his children's laughter.

His eyes cut back to Alexis and as if she sensed his scrutiny, she looked over at him. Edward could see the apprehension in her gaze as she bit her bottom lip and stared at him. He felt his resolve to do everything in his power to 'dissuade' Mario Santorini from pursuing his daughter crumble.

Edward felt Bella's warm fingers caress his side, "Go to her, Baby."

With a soft sigh Edward kissed the top of Bella's head, "Can you and the twins drive back with the boys?"

Bella nodded, "Of course. We will see you later." She gave him her set of keys to the jeep that she had used, while Edward handed her the keys for the truck that he had driven.

With one final kiss, Edward walked over to where Alexis was standing and he held out his hand, "Feeling like going for a walk with your old man, Pumpkin?" he asked as he smiled crookedly.

Alexis wanted to be annoyed with him, but he was so damn beguiling, she thought as she put her hand into his and they arranged to meet everyone back at the house.

After walking up the beach for a while, Edward suggested that they put their sneakers on and he led them through a pathway in the forest.

They walked in silence for a while, stopping every now and again to admire the scenery.

Finally they came to a cluster of flattish boulders and Edward climbed onto one after helping Alexis onto another one. They sat cross-legged, facing each other.

"Dad…" Lexi began.

Edward held up his hand, "Wait, please."

His gaze softened as Alexis nibbled on her lip – _God, she is so much like her mother! How am I ever going to let her go?_

Edward took a deep breath to steady the wild beating of his heart, "Mom told me that you have a new – friend."

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Dad-dddyyy! You know about Rio! You met him!"

Edward shook his head, "Sweetheart, all I know is that some – _boy_, looked at you as if you were something to eat, and you liked it!" He said accusingly.

He regretted his tone and his words as soon as they had been uttered, but there was nothing that he was able to do.

Alexis jumped to her feet and Edward just managed to stop her from toppling forward off the boulder.

"No! Let me go! It's obvious that you aren't going to listen!" Hot tears flooded her eyes and she tried to pull free.

Edward bit back a curse – he was so stupid! He gently gathered her into his arms until she stopped struggling and he squeezed his eyes closed as he felt the moisture from her tears soak into the soft material of his t-shirt.

"Hush Sweetheart, please. I'm sorry, okay?" He pressed a kiss to her soft hair and breathed in her sweet fragrance. "I just… I'm trying to understand here Lex. I mean, you only met him like five minutes ago and already you are crying over him and defending him like a lioness – I just don't understand, baby. Why him? Why now?"

Edward realized that he was closer to tears himself and used the few minutes before Alexis pulled away from him to blink the excess moisture from his eyes.

Alexis shook her head as she looked into her father's eyes. She could see the anguish that he was feeling. His normally sparkling eyes looked dull.

"Daddy, I love you too, so much. And you know that I respect you and I value your opinion probably more than anyone else, and honestly? I don't really understand either. From the moment I met him, I just knew that Mario is going to be someone really important in my life. We talked for hours, about everything."

Edward hated the dreamy look that danced over Alexis' face but he didn't interrupt her.

"He is sweet and funny and very intelligent. He doesn't want to be in security for the rest of his life, he has dreams and aspirations. He wants to start his own IT security company. He's passionate about education and even though we want to spend time together, he says that he won't interfere with my studies."

Edward growled inwardly. He didn't want his daughter to look so goddamned happy! It wasn't fair! She was still a baby…

Her small warm hand clasped his tightly, "Daddy, I know that you only want the best for me, but I need you to let me explore this relationship with Rio. I need you to just let thing happen – naturally. If I'm going to," she swallowed nervously, "if I'm going to get hurt, then I will need you there to hold me and tell me that everything will be okay, so please, please – don't preempt anything…"

Edward's eyes widened – how did she know?

Alexis laughed as she shook her head, "Oh Dad! Do you honestly think that I don't know that you have been plotting to wreak absolute havoc with poor Mario ever since you laid eyes on him?"

Edward had the grace to blush slightly even as he mumbled, "I don't know what you are talking about," before he flashed her a sheepish smile.

After a moment his smile faded and he gave her a slight nod, "Okay Pumpkin. I'll give him a chance, as long as this doesn't interfere with his duties, or your studies and there will be no sex under my roof, is that clear?"

Alexis suppressed the urge to roll her eyes and held his gaze steadily, ignoring the fierce blush on her cheeks and neck.

She stuck out her hand, "You have yourself a deal, Dad."

Edward shook her hand before he pulled her forward into his arms.

"You can come to me anytime. I promise I will always listen to you and I will always be on your side."

Alexis smiled against Edward's shoulder, "I will always need you, Daddy. Thank you for trusting me."

After they pulled apart, they decided to walk a little further.

"So, Mom told me that you have had a 'talk' with the boys. She didn't really want to go into things because the twins were so close to our room. Do you want to tell me what you told them?" Alexis asked him.

And so for the second time in as many days, Edward opened up his heart and told his oldest daughter the circumstances surrounding his and Bella's estrangement and about the photographs.

Edward didn't go into the details about his and Bella's chosen lifestyle – that was on a strictly 'need to know' and he did not feel comfortable discussing his sex life with his daughter!

Alexis was pensive as they made their way back to the campsite.

"If you were so worried about security, how come we didn't have any security while we were camping?"

Edward smirked, "Oh honey, we did! I just didn't want them to be visible. We have had four body guards for the entire time that we were here and there were two guards with you when you were at the spa."

"Really? Wow, they are good."

They drove back to the house in a comfortable silence. Alexis was looking forward to seeing Rio for the first time in two days although they had spent hours on the phone with each other, she found that she had missed him.

As soon as they had parked in the huge garage, Alexis was ready to jump out of the truck, but Edward put his hand out, "Lex?"

She turned back to him, "Yeah?"

"Don't make it too easy for him, okay? Keep a little bit of your heart back."

She smiled and reached across the center console to kiss his cheek, "I will Dad, I promise."

Edward watched as she hurried out of the garage and he growled as he saw Rio dart across the driveway towards her.

With a huff Edward got out of the car and began unpacking all of the bags that the girls had taken with them. He sent a text to the boys to come out and help him carry everything into the house.

*ΩafloΩ*

Alexis felt her heart begin to pound as they got closer to the main house. Rio was everything and more than she had ever dreamed of! The man was as sexy as any of the movie stars that she had met over the years – more so, because he was the first man that had ever caused her heart to flutter.

As her father pulled the car into the garage, Alexis had the door open.

She was almost out the door when her father spoke quietly, "Lex?"

She turned back to him, "Yeah?"

"Don't make it too easy for him, okay? Keep a little bit of your heart back."

She smiled and reached across the center console to kiss his cheek, "I will Dad, I promise."

She could not keep the grin from spreading across her face as her phone pinged in her pocket and she knew that it was Rio even before she saw his tall figure dart across the circular driveway.

Her breath caught in her throat as she took in the tanned skin on his forearms and the raven's wing sheen on his thick black hair as he grinned down at her.

"Hello _mi Tesoro*,"_ her murmured, his deep dimples danced in his cheeks.

Alexis felt her stomach quiver, as her panties grew damp at his husky voice. She had spent enough time in Italy to be able to loosely translate the words. _My treasure_, her heart skipped a beat, he called her _'my treasure'_!

She swallowed, "Hi,"

The slamming of the car door drew them both out of their bubble and Rio looked around quickly, "Come with me," he said quietly and he turned towards a path that ran along the side of the house.

Alexis cast a quick look behind her, although she wasn't sure why she was looking around and she followed quickly.

Once they were a little way away from the buildings, Rio reached out suddenly and snatched Alexis' hand and he quickly pulled her over to a small copse of trees. He turned around and pushed her gently until her back was leaning against a tree trunk and his hand were on each side of her head.

Alexis stared into his lion-colored eyes. The unusual taupe color darkened as he stared down at her and she felt her heart quicken.

"Alexis… I shouldn't – I shouldn't be around you…" he muttered almost to himself.

Her eyes widened before they narrowed into slits and she put one hand on his chest, "Stop right there, buster!"

Rio's eyebrows shot up, "Excuse me?"

"You heard me – you just stop right there – don't even finish that thought. Now, you listen to me: I am not some sniveling teenager, well I am a teenager, but I don't snivel! I know about men, Rio. I have five brothers, two uncles, two grandfathers and a legion of cousins and on top of that, my parents have entertained half of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors for years, so I am not some simpering fool! Do not tell me what is good for me because you have no idea what is or isn't good for me. Just tell me this one thing: Do you want to be with me?"

Rio bit his plump lip as he stared down at the girl that had turned his entire world upside down. How could he tell her that she was all he had thought about ever since he had first seen her? On more than one occasion, Anderson and Marcus had reprimanded him for having his 'head up his ass'. Marcus had eventually threatened to send him back to San Francisco if he didn't get his act together.

"Of course I do! But-" he began, only to be interrupted by Alexis again.

"But nothing. I know that you have a job to do. My Dad explained exactly what has been going on and I understand that you have to be two hundred percent 'on' when you are on duty. I promise to try and keep out of your way while you are working if you promise to spend some time with me when you aren't on duty. Let's get to know each other. Let's see if this 'thing' between us is real and if you want to pursue it – pursue me." She implored him.

Alexis' large brown eyes stared up at him with such innocence and sincerity that his heart beat almost painfully. His one hand drifted down to caress the side of her face, "God, Alexis, you are so beautiful…" his voice faded as he leaned down and they lips met.

Lexi's hands spread across Rio's broad chest. She felt a thrill as his muscles rippled beneath her hands. Her mouth opened as his tongue brushed across her lip.

"Fuck…" his voice echoed through her being and she reveled in the feeling of power that she got from knowing that she could cause this reaction in him.

She gasped as she felt one of his thighs work its way between her bare legs. The warm denim pressed against her and she couldn't stop herself from pressing the very core of her being against his leg. The ache within her turned to a sweet throb as she felt relief at the friction that he was creating.

"Rio, oh, please… I want…" she whispered.

Mario was torn – he knew that his sweet girl was hurting in the same way that he was but he had years more experience at controlling himself and he would bet that she had very little if any experience when it came to sex.

He pressed his knee between her legs. Within minutes Alexis' breathing had become erratic at the sweet pressure and friction that his knee gave her and she felt a sudden rush of wetness as her climax took her by surprise.

Alexis gasped and she buried her mouth against Rio's shoulder. She didn't want anyone to hear them.

"Shhh, _Tesoro_, calm down, we have time, baby." He murmured.

Little by little he lightened his touch and he put some distance between them once she had stopped shaking.

Alexis slowly opened her eyes. She looked around them and she felt her cheeks flame as she realized that she had just had an orgasm in front of this man that she hardly knew!

What must he think of her?

Mario watched as Alexis groaned as she tried to cover her face with her hands but he quickly caught them.

"Let me go, Rio! God, what must you think of me?"

Rio pressed his forehead against hers, "I think that you are beautiful, alluring, intoxicating and I am in awe of how beautiful you are when you fall apart and I am grateful that you allowed me the honor of seeing that."

Alexis bit her lower lip as she stared up at him, "I, um, I don't have, I mean, I'm not – um, I don't," Alexis knew that she was blushing furiously but she wanted to tell him.

"I would like to take you on a date, Alexis. I want to get to know everything about you."

Alexis nodded, "I'd like that too. Are you on duty tomorrow?"

"Everyone is on duty tomorrow, Sweetheart. My shift ends just after the ceremony."

Alexis smiled shyly, "Would you come to my parents' vowel renewal dinner with me?"

Rio hesitated and Alexis stopped smiling, "You don't want to be seen with me…" she began but Rio stopped her quickly.

"No! It's nothing like that, I promise! I just think that I should talk to your parents first and I need to talk to my bosses – one of which is your uncle and he is a scary fucker and don't forget your grandfathers, cousins, brothers – need I go on?" he raised an eyebrow and Alexis began to giggle.

"You think it's funny that every male in your family is going to want to kill me?" he asked playfully.

Alexis laughed, "Well, come on, you have to admit that it's kind of funny, but don't worry baby, I won't let them hurt you."

Mario smiled as he fingered a strand of her hair, "I like it when you call me 'baby'."

"I like it when you call me 'mi Tesoro'."

"Do you know what that means?"

Alexis rolled her eyes, "Baby, we all speak Italian, so yeah, Spanish and Italian aren't that far removed."

Mario gasped, "That's blasphemy! Everyone knows that Spanish is far superior to Italian and another thing – Spanish men are far better lovers!"

Alexis laughed again as she wound her arms around his hard waist. What she wouldn't give to see this man naked…

"Hey, we'd better be getting back, okay? I need to see if I can talk to your father and mother."

"Mom's not going to give you too much grief, but I had better warn you, my dad still sees me as his little girl."

A sudden image of a brown haired, brown eyed little minx flashed through Mario's head. The image was so clear that he almost gasped aloud – he could see the mischievous flash of humor in her eyes, the cheeky dimples in her cheeks and the ruby red lips that looked so much like her mother's…

_Her mother's?_ What the fuck? Pull yourself together, Santorini!

"Mario? Are you okay?"

Mario shook his head to clear it and smiled brightly, "Sure, sure! Come on, we should be getting back, Tesoro."

With a last kiss, the couple walked back the way that they had come, neither noticed the two men that had observed the last few minutes of their time together.

"Shit, Boss, Edward is going to be pissed!" Marcus said.

Anderson shook his head, "Edward is the least of his problems. He knows that this is a job and you don't get involved with the boss's niece! Stupid ass! No wonder he has been mooning around here for the last few days! Fuck! He's a good man, but I have no idea what Emmett's going to say."

"Anderson, why don't we see what Rio does, okay? Let's not be too hasty."

Anderson sighed, "I'll give him until tonight to come forward, and then I need to go to Em."

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward and Bella were having drinks with Alice and Jasper on the front deck when Alexis and Rio arrived.

The four adults stopped talking when the younger couple appeared, "Um, Mister and Missus Cullen? Could I talk with you for a moment?" Rio asked quietly.

Bella was about to speak when Edward put his hand on her leg and squeezed twice in rapid succession. Bella immediately recognized the signal from when they attended parties – it was one of her 'be silent and let me lead' signals.

Bella obeyed and sat back.

"Why don't you two take a seat? Jasper, Alice, this is Mario Santorini. Mario, this is my sister Alice and her husband, Jasper Whitlock."

Alexis hugged her aunt and uncle in greeting before she pulled Mario over to a loveseat.

"Mister Cullen, I know that Alexis and I have just met, but I feel that I need to make my intentions quite clear to both of you; I want to get to know Alexis. I want to 'court' her, if you will. I know that our age difference may be a concern to you, but I want to assure you that my intentions are honorable. I won't take advantage of her innocence, and I will do everything in my power not to hurt her."

Rio realized that he was sweating and he wiped his forehead with his hand and took a deep breath. He had faced death and danger every day when he was posted overseas but he had never been as scared as he was at that very moment, facing Alexis' parents.

Edward grunted, but secretly he admired the younger man's guts. He wasn't sure if he would have had the courage to face Charlie, in fact he remembered how Charlie had scared the shit out of him.

"Dad? Mom?"

Edward felt Bella's small hand cover his and he gipped her fingers. He looked over to see Jasper and Alice watching them closely before he turned to look at Rio.

"Mario, we appreciate you coming forward, but you must understand that we do have some reservations and while your intentions may be honorable, until we know you better, you will appreciate if we reserve giving you our blessing to pursue our nineteen-year-old daughter."

Rio nodded.

"Alexis, we know that you want to spend time together and so we are not going to stop you from seeing each other, but I am asking you to respect the fact that we are your parents and that we expect you to still be a part of our family vacation. Mario, you will need to speak to Anderson - he needs to know that you are involved with our daughter."

"I wanted to speak to the two of you first – seeing my superiors is my next stop."

Edward nodded, "Good, now would you like something to drink?"

"No thank you Sir, I need to report to my post for duty," Mario said politely and quickly – he didn't want to push his luck.

"I'll walk you out, I want to go over and see Tiffany." Alexis said as she stood up next to him.

Once they had left, Jasper got up and poured two sniffers of Bourbon and handed a glass to Edward.

Edward shook his head, "Fuck, Jazz, I think that we are going to need bigger guns."

After a moment's silence, the four 'adults' burst out laughing. As Jasper wiped his eyes, he looked over at his best friend, "I'm proud of you, Bro. I think that I would have bitched-slapped him."

Edward rolled his eyes, "Yeah, but then I wouldn't be getting to renew my vows with this wonderful woman here." He admitted as Bella smirked at Alice.

"I'm so proud of you Twister, you have finally got Thing Two 'house trained'!" Alice said with a loud cackle.

Edward growled at his sister, "Laugh it up, Squirt; just remember that your turn is coming! She just hides her little 'some'ing-some'ing on the side' from you!"

Jasper's laughter died suddenly as he glared at Edward, "There is no way that my daughter is even thinking of having sex!"

Alice shook her head at her husband's refusal to accept that their daughter was a healthy, sexually active twenty-year-old woman.

"_Dad!_ What is wrong with you?"

Jasper turned to look at his furious daughter who was standing in the doorway with an amused and exasperated Alexis.

"Well! You – I'm, aaaahhh, this isn't… shit – now you just wait one second, young lady…" he began.

"Seriously? Seriously! You are going to give me the 'talk' of how all boys are evil and they only want one thing and that my 'flower' is private? Seriously? Oh. MY. God. That is rich, coming from you, _of all people_!" Tiffany ranted as she glared at her father.

"Tiffany Ann you will not talk to me like that! Why are you mad at me? Your uncle was the one that claimed that you are keeping your – sexual" the grimace on his face was almost comical as he spat the word out, "um, endeavors a secret from your mother and I. I was defending you, child!"

Tiffany glared at her father as she shook her head and stamped her foot. Jasper almost smiled because she reminded him so much of Alice in that moment.

"_Child? _Seriously? _Child?_ Dad, in case you don't know this, I am not a child! I am almost twenty-one. I don't _need_ your permission to have sex and I am not going to ask for it either!"

Jasper's mouth open and closed, like a gold fish at his daughter's outright rebellion. He knew that he should have sent her to an all-girls school in some far off Amish community…

"Daddy! Are you even listening to me?"

Jasper looked around and saw that Alice, Edward and Bella were staring at Tiffany and Alexis as if they had just announced that they were running away.

"Sorry, what did you say?"

Tiffany huffed and he noticed the hard glint in her sapphire blue eyes, this was not good, "I said that at least _I didn't become a submissive just so that I could seduce the man of my dreams like Mom did._"

Jasper gasped and for a moment he thought that he was having a heart attack.

He stared at Alice open mouthed until Alice stood up and walked over to Tiffany. Tiffany was only an inch or so taller than her mother, but Alice was never intimidated by her lack of height. What she lost in height, she more than made up for in spirit and that was very evident by the way that she stood toe to toe with her daughter.

"Now you stop right there, Tiffany Anne Whitlock! We did not raise you to be a judgmental little _bitch_ and you definitely were not raised to be disrespectful to your father and I or your uncle and aunt. If you want to have an adult discussion about our lifestyle choices then we can sit down and talk, but if you are trying to throw us off the fact that you are sexually active, then don't bother because it's not that big a deal."

"Alice!" Jasper gasped.

Alice's expression softened as she looked at her husband, "No Jazz, I'm sorry, but no one is going to talk to you like that and get away with it." She turned back to Tiffany, "As for you, Tiffany Ann, I get that you want to be treated like an adult, but that does not give you the right to act like a bratty twelve-year-old, so until you can talk to us respectfully, we have nothing to say to you."

The anger on Tiffany's face faded as she saw the hurt and disappointment in her mother's eyes. Her mom was her best friend besides Lexi and she had never meant to hurt her like that, "Mom, I'm sorry," she began but Alice put her hand up to stop her, "That may be, but you said that and you can't 'un-say it'. You need to think before you speak, Tiffany Ann. Now, if you can excuse us?"

Her meaning was clear and Tiffany nodded before she followed her cousin upstairs. She reached the first floor landing before her eyes began to burn and by the time that they reached Alexis' bedroom, she was crying openly.

Alexis closed her door quietly before she pulled her cousin into a hug, "Come on now, Tiff. What were you thinking? How could you say that to your parents?"

Tiffany stepped back and looked at Alexis, "I know! I know! But I was just so mad at him! He always treats me like a baby and I hate it! Aaagh!" she said as she flopped dramatically onto Tiffany's bed.

Tiffany did a mental eye-roll – she loved Tiffany more than anything, but the girl was so damn dramatic!

Downstairs, Bella and Edward were doing their best to calm Jasper and Alice down.

"But, Twister, how does she know?" Alice whined.

Bella looked over at Edward and smiled, "Oh Ali! We raised really smart kids, sweetie. Remember, you and Jasper have stayed involved in the lifestyle so I'm sure that the kids put two and two together over time."

"But Twister, she was so mean!" Alice said as large tears ran down her cheeks, "The way that she said that I only became a sub so that I could catch Jazz was horrible! And it's not true!"

Bella put her arms around her sister in law, "I know, honey, I know, but kids can be really cruel when they are cornered and you guys did kind of invade her privacy. You need to pull back a little and give her time to come to you. You know that she will come around Ali; Tiffany loves you so much, just give her time."

She looked over to where Edward and Jasper were deep in conversation. She was sure that Edward was telling Jazz about their camping trip and conversations with their own children.

Edward felt Bella staring at him and he glanced over and winked at her.

Bella smiled at him. She knew how hard it was on Alice when Tiffany had left home to begin studying at FIT, the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York as she worked towards her Bachelor Degree in International Fashion Design. The upcoming year was going to be even harder when Tiffany went to London for a year.

The night before their vowel renewal was a rather subdued affair. Their out of town guests had arrived and thankfully Esme had organized to have dinner catered so that there was no need to do anything more than just show up for drinks on the patio.

The only person that had not arrived yet was Peter, but Bella had not expected anything less from him. She knew that Edward worried about his friend and that he felt some responsibility, no matter how many times he had been told that he was not responsible for Peter North's drug and alcohol addiction.

Another person that was really pleased that Peter North had been delayed stood in the shadows watching the pre-nuptials celebrations taking place within the main house. There were just too many people around for his liking. There were too many things that could go wrong. Darryl wiped his sweaty palms on his dirty jeans.

He wondered how the fuck he had fallen so far that he was willing to do harm to people that had only ever treated him with kindness and respect. He was even trying to stay off the Weed, which was all that he allowed himself to take nowadays. He wanted to stay clean, he wanted to make something of himself – he didn't want to end up like his old man, an overdose fatality at age thirty. Which had left him with his prostitute mother until she had left him to fend for himself when he was fourteen.

Darryl slunk away into the shadows and made his way back to the staff quarters. When he got there he fetched a cold soda and sat out on the small patio and lit up a cigarette as he continued to think about Peter North and how they had met.

_Peter North had been down on his luck and once again without much money when he had been ordered by the judge in his assault case to report to the State run Cherry Palms Rehab Center. The morning that he had reported, Darryl had also been sent to the rehab center by his probation officer. The young man had seemingly little to nothing in common with the older man but they were both assigned to the same room and they quickly became firm 'friends'. Both men were weak and angry, ready to blame anyone else for their misfortune. It was there that they met 'The Chief' 'aka, 'Doctor Ephraim Black' or Larry Calvina. He was also a patient of the rehabilitation center and he blamed everyone for his misery and misfortune, especially the Cullen's. As soon as Peter had heard Edward's name, his poison had spewed out. The two older men would sit for hours talking about how Edward and Bella had ruined their lives._

_At first Darryl had not wanted any part of their crazy schemes but when Peter and Larry promised him an endless supply of any drug of his choice and more money than he had ever seen, he had reluctantly agreed to try and seek employment on the Rocking Horse Ranch._

_Over the months, 'The Chief' had become increasingly delusional and in Darryl's estimation, dangerously deranged._

_He had somehow managed to track down Nadia Donaldson, who was the birth-child of Victoria Watson and James Denali. She had been given up for adoption at birth, which was about six months before Victoria and James had met Bella Cullen (then Swan). Darryl wasn't sure how Larry had managed to find all of the sealed records, but he had summoned his 'disciples' to his home and 'head quarters' and he had introduced Peter and Darryl to his 'secret weapon', Nadia. _

_Darryl was almost sorry for the young woman, who seemed to be a little unstable and almost as delusional as Larry. He had watched as she almost salivated as Larry spent hours spitting out hate and revenge plans, most of which were total crap, but evil none the less._

_It was when Larry had mentioned that perhaps one of the Cullen children should be sacrificed in the name of 'Justice for the People of the Chief'(which was what he was now calling their little gathering), that Darryl had begun to have serious reservations. The only problem was that when he had looked into Larry Calvina's eyes, he had seen insanity and it terrified him._

_That was one of the reasons that he had scared Max. He liked the little kid, and there was no way that he could ever hurt a child. He had hoped that if he frightened him enough, his parents would do exactly what they had done. They never left their younger children alone for a second and within hours of arriving; a virtual army had descended on the Lake Tahoe compound._

_He had made sure that the bugs and surveillance equipment that he had 'planted' was found easily by the electronics crew and since then, no one besides the family was allowed free access to any of the homes. From that moment onwards, all buildings were electronically 'swept' four times each day and Darryl felt more secure that no one would be able to harm any member of the family while they were here._

_He wasn't sure what plans Larry had when everyone returned home, though and he was really not looking forward to Peter North attending the celebrations, but there was no way that he could voice his opinions because then they would know that he had changed his allegiances._

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward smiled with satisfaction as Bella moved off him and she walked into their bathroom to clean herself up. He lay on his back, with his hands tucked behind his head as he stared up at the high ceiling. He could feel himself grinning like a smug bastard, but that was exactly how he felt.

The next day he and Bella was going to be spending the day together, being pampered at a day spa in readiness for renewing their wedding vows at 6.30 in the evening, with their 'reception' following that beginning with dinner at 7.30.

Edward felt the bed move and he looked across to see Bella slipping into bed beside him. She looked over at him quizzically, "What are you looking so smug about, Husband?"

"Well, Wifey, I am feeling pretty smug right now; I am feeling well satisfied right now – you are here with me, we are in a really good place and our kids don't really hate us, so I am very, very happy."

Bella rolled her eyes, but the look she gave him was tender, "You are such a spin-doctor, but I love you Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

"I love you too my darling."

Bella hoped that their special day would be relatively drama free, but they were Cullen's after all and drama was definitely their middle name!

*ΩafloΩ*

After receiving a shared breakfast in bed with all seven of their children the next morning, Edward and Bella left just before seven so that the rest of the family could have free reign over the house and Edward didn't want Bella to stress over anything.

They would only arrive back at the house after five that afternoon and all they would need to do was to get dressed.

For Edward and Bella the day was magical. They were wined, dined and pampered to within an inch of their lives! Nothing was too much for the staff of the exclusive spa that was so exclusive that each person or couple had a private entrance to their own private spa area. They never saw anyone else except the spa personnel the entire day. The entire spa was white with accents of Mediterranean greens, blues and pewter.

After lunch and before they had their final hair treatments, showers and manicures, Edward had asked for some privacy and the masseuse didn't even blink as she assured Edward and Bella that no one would disturb them until they phoned down to the front desk.

Edward made love to Bella tenderly. He made sure to take his time and he showed his wife with his lips, hands, tongue, and engorged cock, just how much he love and appreciated her. Once they had caught their breath and they cleaned up and finished of their day with the balance of their treatments.

They were quiet in the car with Edward humming softly as Bella ran her fingers over his thigh.

"I never thought that it would be possible to love you more than I have, but somehow these past weeks have made me fall even deeper." Bella said quietly.

Edward smiled as he raised her hand and gently kissed her knuckles, "I wonder if the 'crazy' who sent us those pictures will ever know that they were the catalyst that propelled us into action to save our family and our marriage."

Bella sighed contentedly as she lanced out of the window, "I hope that they get what they deserve. They wanted to start a shit-storm for us, well it's going to come back to them ten-fold."

Edward smiled broadly, "My little tiger."

*ΩafloΩ*

"Andrea! Hurry up! You still have to get dressed!" Tiffany shouted through the bathroom door.

Jack stuck his head out of his bedroom as he eyed his disgruntled looking cousin.

"Hey cuz, what's up?"

Tiffany shook her mane of blonde hair in frustration, "I swear, Jack; your sisters are going to give me grey hair! First it was Beth and Rachelle who took an hour and a half in here and now for some reason, Drea refuses to come out! Your mother is going to be back at any minute!"

Jackson was used to his cousin talking without stopping to take a breath and he just smiled as he walked over to the bathroom door and tapped on it.

"Drea? Are you okay honey? It's Jack" he said softly as Tiffany rolled her eyes and tapped her foot.

"J-Jack?" he could hear the tears in his little sister's voice and he frowned, "What's the matter?"

On the other side of the door, Andrea sat in the empty bathtub, wearing only her panties and her bathrobe.

She didn't know what was wrong with her, but she was in a bad mood and first she had a big fight with her sister, who had been mean to her as soon as Aunty Katy, Uncle Gar and Kirsty had arrived. Suddenly Beth only wanted to play with Kirsty and Rachelle and they didn't want to play with her! To make it worse, Max was getting on her nerves! He had been teasing her the whole morning and then he had laughed at the dress that she was wearing to Mommy and Daddy's wedding! She felt more tears cruise down her cheeks as she remembered how he teased her that her dress looked like 'blue doggie poop'.

Before she knew it, she was screaming and running into the bathroom and slamming the door.

She didn't want to ruin her parents' special day, but she felt so ugly!

"Andrea, please open the door" she heard her big brother say quietly.

Andrea stood up and unlocked the door.

Jackson slipped inside and sat on the floor as she climbed back into the empty tub.

"Soo – what's going on, Little Birdie?" he said, using the nickname that he sometimes called her.

That only made her cry harder. She loved her brothers and Jackson was so much like her dad. Suddenly it all came out:

She missed her dad.

She was fat and ugly and her dress looked like blue poop.

She was going to die alone.

Jackson stared at his little sister with wide eyes. Surely this was his mother's job? He glanced at his watch and saw that there was plenty of time before his parents was due home.

He stood up and picked his sister out of the tub before he sat down again with her on his lap.

Once the waterworks had had stopped, Jackson brushed the sweaty bronze tresses out of Andrea's face and he tilted her chin so that he could look into her swollen, sad eyes.

"Now, I happen to know that your dress is absolutely beautiful, Andrea Rose. Aunty Al could not wait to show it to us and we all agreed that it is one of the prettiest of all of the dresses." He said seriously.

"Really? Do you think so?" she asked in a husky, sad voice.

"Of course I do, Birdie! We all do."

"B-but they were b-being m-m-mean to me! Max said that I look like blue poop!" Andrea wailed loudly.

Outside Jackson could hear Jared, Chris and Nicholas talking to the two artists that they had hired, who had obviously been invited to attend the ceremony.

Both of their guests knew or had met his parents and they were only too happy to be able to accommodate the Cullen's on such short notice.

"Hey, Drea? Would you like to help us guys with setting up the stage for tonight?"

That distracted her enough and she looked up in surprise.

"Yeah! Will the others be okay with that?"

Jack shrugged, "Sure! Why don't you get cleaned up, and put on a pair of shorts and top and meet me downstairs and don't worry, I will clear it with the girls."

Jack sighed as he opened the bathroom door and made his way to Alexis' room where all the women had gathered. He had no idea why they needed five hours to get ready, and quite frankly he didn't care but he had been putting out fires all morning!

With a knock and a verbal warning, he stuck his head inside and all he saw was miles of material – all in various shades of blue, the room reeked of perfume and other girly things. Jackson hid a shudder and searched the room for his aunt and Tiffany.

He gave a sigh of relief when he spotted them on the other side of the room and he motioned them over, "Listen, I'm taking Andrea downstairs with me – the minis are fighting and I don't want Mom to come home to a hysterical child."

Tiffany nodded while Alice frowned, "I think that there is just too much going on and the kids are over excited! I'm sorry that you had to step in, Jack, but I'm grateful! I am too old for these little monsters!"

With hopefully the last crisis averted for the day, Jack and Andrea headed downstairs and the house became peaceful once more.

When Edward and Bella arrived home, Edward was whisked off to Emmett's house where all the men were dressing, while Bella was lead upstairs to her bedroom.

She became quite tearful when she saw the breathtaking ivory gown that was hanging up and the array of familiar faces.

Rosalie, Esme, Alice, Kate, Arielle, Jesse, Tiffany-Ann, Alexis, Sue and the 'minis' all looked so pretty in their array of blue dresses.

The twins were dressed in the most gorgeous 'tutu' style dresses that came to just below their knees in a deep blue with a bright green 'cummerbund' and matching blue ballet slippers. Their hair was loose with matching green Alice bands.

"Oh my, you all look so beautiful!" Bella exclaimed.

Everyone was wearing shades of blue and aqua. There were long dresses, formal dresses, casual maxi and mini dresses but everyone looked beautiful.

Alice clapped her hands together.

"Come on, Twister, you have a ceremony to get to in just over half an hour, so let's get this party started!"

The dress fit like a glove and in no time at all the guests were seated outside. Alexis, Elizabeth and Andrea who were going to accompany their mother to the aisle, where, Edward, Jackson, Nicholas and Sam would escort the girls, while Max would follow as the ring bearer.

"Ready?"

Bella nodded and in a flurry, the girls descended the stairs, where the men were waiting for them.

Edward could not take his eyes of his wife from the moment that he saw her appear on the top landing.

Her dress was made of ivory satin. It had an asymmetrical high 'v' neck front and was cut on the bias so that the material seemed to flow over her body but when she stopped half way down the aisle to greet someone and she turned around, Edward gasped.

The back was a 'cowl' that made the dress virtually backless. Edward felt his mouth water at the sight of Bella's flawless ass.

Her hair was up in an almost careless messy bun, with wisps of hair that hung around her neck. The most shocking thing about her back was the beautiful Infinity symbol tattoo that was just below her neck in the center of her back with the words 'and beyond' along the lower twist of the symbol. Bella had gone back a few days after she and Edward had received their 'promise' tattoos and she had managed to keep it covered with her hair.

And then she looked up and caught his gaze and as if she knew that he could not stand one more moment without her by his side, Bella walked towards Edward, the soft smile never leaving her lips.

Charlie and Carlisle stood before them and with misty eyes Charlie began to talk.

"Friends and family, Edward and Bella have asked you to join them today to witness their renewed commitment to each other, to their children and to our family and I ask that you bare witness to this declaration of their love and devotion".

Bella glanced at her father and mouthed 'thank you' to him. He winked at her before he gave Edward a mock glare in warning.

Carlisle cleared his throat and nodded at the couple, "Edward; I have had the privilege to witness your journey from a baby to a thoughtful boy into a bright and talented man. This woman, who I proudly call 'daughter', has made you a better man than I could ever imagine you to become. It is time to re commit yourself to your beautiful wife."

Edward struggled to clear his throat because he was so moved by his father's words. At last he let go of Bella's hand and knelt down next to Max, "Max can I have mommy's ring please?"

Max puffed up with pride at being such an important part of the ceremony and he quickly handed Edward the small box.

Edward stood up and smiled at Bella, "Isabella, I have always loved you and will always love you. You are part of me, the best part of me. With you by my side, I have grown so much. We have evolved and transformed together. We have endured together, laughed and cried together. We raised a beautiful family together. Beloved, please take my hand." Bella's hand shook as she held it out and Edward slipped the white gold and diamond 'infinity' eternity ring onto her right hand ring finger.

Edward tenderly brushed a thumb across her cheeks to capture the lone tear that had fallen, "With you as my partner, the best is yet to be. Bella, you are my heart, my best friend, and my life. Today before family and friends, I renew my commitment to you."

He turned around and looked at his children, "And this is my commitment to all of you: I promise to love and cherish you, respect you and to always be there for each of you. This is my solemn vow." With that he turned back to face Bella, "And this is my commitment to you, heart of my heart: I promise to love and cherish you, respect you and grow with you for all the days of our lives. This is my solemn vow."

By the time that he had finished talking, there was barely a dry eye around. Bella had long since stopped trying to pull herself together and she just let her tears fall, although Alice quickly dispensed tissues as she muttered about 'staining her masterpiece.'

Charlie quickly blew his nose and glared at the onlookers as they tittered and giggled at his rare display of emotion.

He looked at Bella and felt his throat grow tight, "Bells, you and I were alone for a long time and I know that in those years you had to endure a lot of heartache and neglect."

He pushed the dark thoughts of the years of abuse that she had suffered as a result of his alcohol addiction and carried on.

"You are one of the most amazing women that I have ever had the privilege of knowing. You made me want to be a better husband and father and you have made Edward a better man, husband and father. No one is perfect and no marriage is perfect, but the two of you make us all want to try to do better. Bells, it is time to re dedicate yourself to your husband."

Bella brushed the tears that had flown freely away as she turned to face Edward, "Once before, I have stood with you before family and friends; once again, I take your hand as my partner. Edward, I take you this day, and for all days, as my husband."

Edward hardly felt the tears that ran down his face as his green eye blazed. Bella reached up with a tender smile and wiped the moisture off his cheeks before she turned to Max and held out her hand, "Sweetheart, may I have Daddy's ring?"

Max made a show of reaching into his cream jacket pocket and drew out the small black box and handed it to his mother with a grin.

Bella reached out and took Edward's right hand in hers and she slid the wide white gold wedding band that had small infinity symbols embellished around onto his ring finger.

"Today, after twenty years of marriage, I ask you to continue to take me as your wife. You have stood by my side through sorrow and joy, triumph and defeat, sickness and health, and for this I am so grateful. I thank God for the gift of you. I thank you. My promise to you is perhaps best spoken through the words of Wilfred Arlan Peterson: _'Across the years I'll walk with you, in deep green forest, on shores of sand, and when our time on earth is through in heaven too, you will have my hand.'_ I love you, Edward."

Edward couldn't wait any longer and reached out to kiss her passionately.

His eyes were almost black with desire and passion as he stared down at the woman that he had love for almost half his life.

"I love you, Isabella."

Bella stumbled a little when he let her go and everyone laughed.

She turned to face her children, "I am so very proud to be your mother. You are without a doubt the very best of your father and me and you humble me every day with your wit, intelligence and loving natures. We are not perfect, but we love you all and I will always be on your side and ready to listen when you need me."

With that the kids crowded around them and they joined together in a muddle of hugs, kisses, sniffles and giggles.

At last they parted and turned to face the 'congregation' as Carlisle and Charlie stepped forward, "Friends and family, please congratulate Edward and Bella on their twentieth wedding anniversary!" Carlisle said loudly and everyone broke out in applause, whistling and cheers.

The tikki lamps had been lit and tiny led lights were strung across poles around the front of the main house. Tables and chairs had been set up as well as a dance floor, a raised platform for the live entertainment and a deejay's station.

Bella could not believe how lovely everything was – from the way that everyone was color coordinated with the women in shades of blue, turquoise and aqua and the men were all in shades of ecru, cream, beige and white.

During the photo shoot, she took the time to admire Edward unbleached linen suit, with crisp white shirt and white boating shoes. All of the men in the family were dressed the same and Max look absolutely adorable in his carbon copy suit.

After the photos had been taken, Edward gave Bella a mischievous smirk as he led her to the dance floor, nodding over her shoulder.

When the music began Bella gasped as she looked up at the stage to see none other than one of her favorite artists, Shania Twain swaying and grinning down at them, "Happy anniversary, Edward and Bella!"

Shania and Edward had worked together several times over the years and Bella had been fortunate enough to meet her on a few occasions. They had even had Shania and her husband over for dinner when she was working on an album recording, but Bella had never heard her sing live and she could not stop herself from having a fan girl moment when Shania began to sing one of her favorite songs, 'You're still the one'.

Edward spun Bella around as he whispered the some of the words into her ear,

"…_Ain't nothin' better  
We beat the odds together  
I'm glad we didn't listen__  
__Look at what we would be missin'_

They said, "I bet they'll never make it"  
But just look at us holding on  
We're still together still going strong"

They smiled at each other and Edward quickly kissed the corner of her mouth.

"_(You're still the one)  
You're still the one I run to  
The one that I belong to  
You're still the one I want for life_

(You're still the one)  
You're still the one that I love  
The only one I dream of  
You're still the one I kiss good night  
You're still the one"

"How did you do this?" Bella asked.

Edward shook his head, "It wasn't me Sweetheart, and it was our son, the 'wheeler-dealer' and Aro who organized it. The first I knew about it was when I saw Shania just before the ceremony."

Bella turned around and saw Nicholas, Aro and Jasper standing and grinning broadly. Nick gave Bella a thumbs-up sign and Bella nodded vigorously.

"They really are amazing aren't they – our kids."

Edward nodded as he skimmed his nose down her jaw line, "They take after their mother,"

Bella's hands tightened around his neck, "Oh Edward, who doesn't see themselves clearly now?" she asked.

"I love my ring by the way," Edward said.

Bella smiled, "I can't believe that we both chose rings with infinity symbols"

The song ended and the couple parted reluctantly. They thanked Shania and invited others to join them for the next set of songs.

As Edward pulled Bella closer against his body he replied to her earlier comment, "I'm not surprised at all that we chose the same theme. I mean, we have always had a connection with 'infinity', little girl. Remember that first summer in Tuscany?"

Edward loved the fact that he could still make Bella blush like a school girl. She looked at him from under her lashes and nodded as she bit her bottom lip, "How could I ever forget? That was the summer that I fell madly in love with a copper haired boy who became my one true love, my Master, lover and my very best friend."

Edward's hands tightened on her slim waist as his eyes darkened to black in the darkening night sky, "I can't wait to get you alone tonight."

After they had danced with almost everyone, dinner was served and Bella was shocked at the wonderful meal that Alexis and Esme had organized. During dinner, she found out just how much planning, scheming and dedication it had taken for this celebration to take place. Edward stood up to thank their parents, siblings, children and friends for their all of their help. Bella found out that Tiffany and Alice had designed and made most of the dresses that had been worn.

After dinner, Bella and Edward's seven children each took hold of a corner of the two cakes trolleys and they wheeled them out for the couple to cut.

Jackson stepped forward, "Mom, Dad, the 'minis' voted and decided that they would rather have cupcakes, so we decided to give them what they want because there are too many of them to fight off."

Everyone laughed as the 'minis' let out a mighty cheer.

"The other cake is something that Nana and Lexi designed. They wanted to keep it fun and adventurous, which is what the rest of your marriage will be."

Bella loved the Tiffany colored cupcake tower and she encouraged the younger children to hurry over and take one.

The adult cake was beautiful. Bright and cheerful in various shades of blue, the bottom tier looked as if waves were breaking around it while pretty purple handmade shells decorated the top. The middle second tier was covered in a multitude of 'fish scales' in different colors. The third tier was covered in piped swirls and curls to resemble seaweed. The top tier was covered in small pearl 'bubbles' and on the very top of the cake was a gorgeous handcrafted ivory starfish.

Bella was thrilled and clapped her hands in delight which caused Edward to tease her for having an 'Alice' moment.

The cake was cut and everyone enjoyed the rich vanilla and raspberry sponge cake. Once they were finished, Nicholas stepped forward, "Um, well, we weren't sure if this person was going to be able to make it here tonight and it took some mighty fancy footwork, but please welcome Michael Buble! Mom and Dad, this is for you because you are the best parents that we have ever had!"

Bella was not surprised when most of the women present let out squeals' of delight. Michael laughed as he jumped onto the stage. He fixed a hard stare on Bella before he looked at Edward and chuckled, "How did an old rascal like you bag such a gorgeous woman Edward?"

Edward laughed and shrugged as he pulled Bella closer to his side.

Michael smiled, "I may be a happily married man, but you Sir are really blessed. Congratulations Edward and Bella on your twentieth wedding anniversary. May we be dancing at your fortieth! This is for both of you."

The music began and Bella was sure that she screamed a little as Edward laughed and pulled her into his arms, "Do I need to remind who you are married to, Mrs. Cullen?"

The velvet Voice made her spine shiver and with a show of uncharacteristic boldness, Bella pressed herself closer to his rock hard dick, "Why don't you show me who is in charge later, Mister Cullen, Sir." She whispered.

Edward shuddered, fuck; he was never going to make it! He took several deep breaths as Michael began to sing another of Bella's favorite songs, '_Everything_'.

"_You're a falling star, you're the getaway car.  
You're the line in the sand when I go too far.  
You're the swimming pool, on an August day.  
And you're the perfect thing to say._

And you play it cool, but it's kinda cute.  
Ah, When you smile at me you know exactly what you do.  
Baby don't pretend, that you don't know it's true.  
Cause you can see it when I look at you.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing.  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

You're a carousel, you're a wishing well,  
And you light me up, when you ring my bell.  
You're a mystery, you're from outer space,  
You're every minute of my everyday.

And I can't believe, uh that I'm your man,!  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can.  
Whatever comes our way, ah we'll see it through,  
And you know that's what our love can do.

And in this crazy life, and through these crazy times  
It's you, it's you, You make me sing  
You're every line, you're every word, you're everything.

So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La  
So, La, La, La, La, La, La, La…"

By the time that the song was finished, everyone was on the dance floor dancing and singing along.

Michael played a few more songs before he said that he had to leave to get to a concert in New York the next day.

The evening wore on and Bella knew that she would never forget this night. The most important people in their lives surrounded them and the entire evening had been filled with so much love and laughter.

It had been magical.

Later on Edward carried Bella over the threshold of their suite. Everyone had left and between Rosalie, Alice, Sue and Esme, their children were scattered around the compound.

Bella smiled as Edward lowered her to her feet, "I see that the hot tub is on," she teased.

Edward nodded, "Yep, and there should be drinks and snacks outside as well. Are you tired?"

Bella shook her head as she reached for the small zip on her hip that held her dress in place, "I've never felt more energetic in my life." She said in a husky voice.

Edward swallowed noisily as he almost ripped his shirt off.

Seconds later he was naked while Bella stood fully clothed before him.

"Wow, you were quick."

"Would I be a chauvinist pig to admit that I want to watch you strip?"

Bella tossed her head back as she laughed before she answered, "Not really, I've watched you strip plenty of times. Go and sit down."

Edward almost stumbled in his haste to sit in the easy chair in front of the large fire place.

Bella slowly pulled the pins out of her hair, letting the curls fall around her shoulders, hiding her new tattoo.

"I forgot to ask you about your tattoo. How did you manage to hide it from me?"

"Easy," Bella answered as she slowly lowered the zipper under her arm. She half turned away from Edward before she looked back at him over her shoulder with a smoldering glance when she saw that he was slowly stroking himself.

"I just made sure that I was on top for the first few days…"

With that she shrugged the gown off her shoulders and let it pool around her feet.

Edward sucked in a deep breath as he took in the picture of her beautiful, almost naked body that was only clothed with a champagne colored thong.

"Fuck me…" Edward's eyes were like saucers, he looked up into her face, "Bella… you are so beautiful…"

Suddenly he surged to his feet and stalked towards her with an almost predatory look in his eyes, "I hope you aren't hungry now, because this may take a while…"

Bella shrieked as he swept her off her feet and threw her over his shoulder and when he reached their bed, he threw her down so that she bounced on the mattress. Her shocked laughter was silenced suddenly as he moved between her legs, bracing himself on his elbows. Bella linked her hands around his neck as he lined himself up to her inviting heat, "Make me yours again, Edward."

That night their lovemaking lasted for hours. It seemed that as soon as they were satisfied, another round of caressing and touching would cause their passion to ignite once more.

It was only much later, as they languished in the hot tub that Bella remembered something, "Hey, I didn't see Peter North tonight. Did he cancel?"

Edward sighed as he played with the ends of her wet hair, "No, I'm not sure what's going on this time, but he called to say that he had some business deal that he is working on and he will see us for the barbeque on the fourth."

Bella tried to hide her grimace but Edward saw it, "What's the matter? Don't you want him here? I can tell him not to come."

Bella shook her head, "It's not that, it's just… well when I was speaking to Sam I mentioned that Peter might be coming and he just said that none of the kids like him or trust him. I think that he makes them uncomfortable, but I don't want him to be alone on the holiday. If he is really trying this time, then we need to encourage him."

Edward was saddened by the demise of his friendship with Peter North, but what he had never told Bella was that every now and again, Peter made him uncomfortable as well and he decided to bring it up with her, because there were no more secrets between them.

Bella was shocked to hear that Edward was a little weary of his 'friend'. "What do you mean that he looks at you 'funny'?" she asked as she sat up.

Edward shrugged, "A few times in the past, I've had a feeling of being watched and when I looked up he was glaring at me as though he hated me, but like really he really hated me. I looked away and then when I looked back, he was smiling as though nothing happened. I kept thinking that I had imagined it."

They were quiet for a few moments before Bella spoke again, "Let him come, baby."

Edward nodded.

He shifted, "Come on, let's get some sleep. I wish this was a real honeymoon and that we were alone."

"I think that the children would be really disappointed if we left them. There is plenty of time for us to take a trip later on."

They got out and climbed into bed and fell asleep quickly.

*ΩafloΩ*

A few hundred miles away, Peter North was wide awake. He couldn't sleep as his thoughts were only of what they were about to do. He had not been able to face Edward and Bella knowing that in a few weeks time he was going to cause them more pain than they had ever known and he wondered for the hundredth time if this was the perfect revenge that Larry Calvino claimed it was.

He shifted again and closed his eyes.

Only time would tell.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: So there the vow renewal is over. What did you think of it? The plot is coming together now. Have you got all the pieces of the puzzle yet? Of course you have because you guys are so damn smart!**


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.

*ΩafloΩ*

**WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!

A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US

CHAPTER 12

**A/n: Hi everyone – I just need to clarify something with regards to this story – ****THERE WILL NOT BE ANY CHILD ABUSE OR SEXUAL ABUSE OF ANY KIND!**** This is not that kind of story, kink yes, abuse, absolutely not! Also many of you asked where Larry was in the last story – short answer – he wasn't! Larry Calvino AKA DR EPHRAIM BLACK – is the whack imposter doctor who treated Bella for her prenatal depression! Edward reported him after Bella had given birth to Max and she was getting more dependent on a cocktail of drugs that Larry/Dr Black was exposing her to – that is why he hates Edward and is fixated on Bella – he also spent some time on the Quileute reservation and that's where he got the insane idea that he was a REINCARNATION of Chief Ephraim Black – he also feels that Edward is responsible for the death of Jacob, even though it was Bella who delivered the fatal blow. **

**I hope that this clears the confusion up and to give you a deeper insight into Larry, the first part of this chapter is from him.**

**One last thing: I am ALWAYS about the HEA – no matter what happens - you can rest assured that this story will definitely end with an **_**'and they all lived happily ever after…'**_

*ΩafloΩ*

Larry Calvino sat in the dingy motel room staring at the screen of his laptop. He glared at the slightly distorted pictures on his screen as his fury rose.

There in front of him was the evidence of his team's incompetence! The fools had fumbled at every single task that he had set them!

Larry could feel the 'red fury' as he liked to call it taking hold of his emotions. He wanted to hurt someone. He wanted to squeeze the life out of someone – watch the lifeblood drain from their eyes as his hands tightened around their throats…

Larry felt his limp dick harden slightly. It had been months, maybe years since he had engaged in success sexual relations with someone, but the thought of killing, hurting, maiming, gave him so much satisfaction…

His gaze hardened as he stared at the photographs that had been 'leaked' to the media – what a load of shit! There was the 'big' man himself and his depraved wife, smiling for the camera, smiling at their family, their friends and their children! Larry felt sick to his stomach to think that Edward-fucking-Cullen had once again landed on his feet while he had caused so much misery and pain to so many people around him! The worst was that he didn't even care! He didn't care that his actions had caused the demise of a brilliant career!

Larry didn't grasp that the 'brilliant career' was his own fraudulent career that should never have begun in the first place, and it was only by his own evil and delusional actions that the 'illustrious' career of 'Doctor Ephraim Black' had been created.

Larry Calvino was born as an only child into a normal working class family in the small town of Charity, South Dakota. His father was a local high school teacher and his mother worked in the local hospital as a nurse.

Larry was considered very bright for his age, but his teachers had noticed some disturbing character flaws in his personality from an early age. He was an anti-social little boy with little or no ability to distinguish right from wrong. He was spiteful and underhanded and when caught out he showed no remorse whatsoever. There were a few incidents involving other children but no one ever came forward to accuse him outright.

A classmate had 'fallen' down a flight of stairs in first grade; a neighbor's dog had gone missing and later was found mutilated; feces had been smeared on a neighbors wall and Larry's own mother was terrified of him. When she was questioned years later, the poor woman could not articulate why she was so afraid of her son, all that she would say was that 'his eyes looked dead'.

When Larry was given a full scholarship to a university, he had not been able to cope as well as he expected to but he found that drugs helped.

Everyone had plotted against him to make him fail and that was the reason that he had not become a psychiatrist, although he knew what made people tick. He understood why people did what they did and he found that he could influence the outcome of a situation if he wanted to, by making people do whatever he wanted.

Larry was expelled from college for cheating and endangering the life of a student when a fellow classmate had exposed Larry for cheating and Larry had responded by trying to run the student and his girlfriend over.

Larry had licked his wounds for a couple of days before he decided to change his name and location and start over.

A year later, after a long visit to one of his friends on a Native Indian Reservation in Washington State he had 'found' his true spiritual self, and Doctor Ephraim Black had been born. Larry had embraced all of the tribal stories, especially those of resurrection, reincarnation and the customs surrounding those beliefs. He had especially enjoyed the tales of one chief of the Quileute tribe, Ephraim Black.

Chief Ephraim Black was the greatest chief of this tribe that was rumored to have descended from wolves. Their only natural enemy was the _Cold Ones_.

When Larry had met Edward Cullen, he had known without a doubt that he was a Cold One.

Cold, unfeeling, and out to destroy the reincarnated form of Ephraim Black, who was Larry's true Alto Ego. Once he had welcomed the great spirit of Ephraim Black into his heart and soul, everything had fallen into place – everything made sense.

The Cullen's were only out for evil and they had to be stopped – at any cost.

Thankfully, the Great Sky Spirit was watching over him and he had come across the name of a young lady that whose parents had been brutally murdered by the Cullen's years before, along with the grandson of the great chief himself.

Larry had wasted no time in contacting the young and impressionable Nadia Donaldson, whose real name was Nadia Denali.

After a few years he had found two more _disciples_, Peter North, a wronged one time friend and one time partner of Cullen and a young misfit, named Daryl White who was just crying out for some guidance. Daryl had surprised Larry with his intellect and knowledge of all things to do with IT, computers and such, which baffled Larry's brain at the best of times, and he was only too happy to 'coach' the youngster on surveillance techniques and how to blend in with the crowd.

Peter had been instrumental in getting Daryl onto the Rocking Horse Ranch and the rest was relatively easy. Once Daryl had reported that the very pretty, but pathetic Missus Cullen was frequenting a 'kink' establishment, Daryl had been able to hack into their system and he was able to use the company's quest for privacy against 'poor little Bella Cullen'. He was sorry that he had to keep a low profile, but Bella and Edward Cullen knew him only too well.

Ha! The stupid bitch was beside herself when she had received the photographs of her husband and that singer and as for Edward, well Larry had been ecstatic at his response – until he realized that the two fools were clinging to each other instead of splitting apart.

Larry had only ever wanted to help Bella Cullen – from the very first moment that he had seen her, he had been enchanted with her, captivated by her beauty and fragility, he had wanted to help her to escape from the clutches of the Cullen's.

Everything about her was breathtakingly beautiful. And she was so tiny and vulnerable and that brute of a husband and her oaf of a father had been 'manhandling' her and almost forcing her into seeing him – not that he complained, but as the months went by and he had watched as yet another evil spawn grew in the woman's belly, Larry had grown to despise Edward Cullen and all that he stood for.

Money, wealth, power, good looks, and charm – the man seemed to have it all and Larry had never hated anyone more.

After the brat was born, the trouble started. Edward began to make a noise about the amount of drugs that Bella was on, while Bella herself began to rebel against his methods of 'healing'.

Soon the gig was up and he was in prison, and for the eighteen months, that he had been in there, he stewed in his hatred.

After a time, he had come to realize that the prison warden was trying to poison him and so he had begun to experiment with a cocktail of drugs that he thought helped to clear his mind and make his purpose clear: The Cullen's were evil incarnate and had to be destroyed at any cost.

It wasn't long after his release that he had 'found' his disciples.

_Why was he always surrounded by incompetent fools? Why was everyone against him? Didn't they know who he was?_

'Chief Black' took a deep breath and tried to calm himself down before 'The fury' took over. He was going to have to fix this mess that his disciples had created.

Bella and Edward Cullen would regret the day that they had ever done him wrong, he smiled as he thought about the upcoming plans, yes, all of the Cullen's would be wearing this year's latest fashion color – black, black was always good for a funeral…

Larry threw back his head as peals of laughter erupted from him. He couldn't wait – perhaps he would attend the funeral and pay his respects…

"Hmmm, what if there is a double or even a triple funeral, oooh that will be suuuuuch fun!"

The Chief rubbed his hands together as he picked up his phone.

*ΩafloΩ*

Three days later and the Cullen's were gearing up for the birthday party for Alexis and Jackson.

Originally the party was going to be held on one of the public beaches, but with the threat to security, the venue had been moved to their own private beach and front shore.

Both Alexis and Jackson didn't want much of a fuss as they preferred to keep things casual, with friends that they had made in Lake Tahoe, a few friends from back home and a couple of their college friends that received an invitation. Besides them, the rest of the sixty people invited were made up by their family and extended family.

The only stipulation that the twins had was that no one under the age of twelve or over the age of thirty-five was allowed to attend. This conveniently excluded all of the 'older' generation as well as the minis.

The security team would be out in full force, with facial recognition scans at the gates as well as at the entrance to the beach party itself.

A large lunch was planned for the day of their birthday and then it had been agreed, reluctantly by the adults, that all the 'uninvited guests' would vacate the main house for the night.

Edward and Bella had called a meeting and everyone was gathered in the rec room in the basement.

Edward had asked Emmett, Marcus, Anderson and Brian to attend the meeting to go over the arrangements for the following evening. Edward clapped his hands and let out a loud whistle to get everyone's attention.

"Hey! Guys, settle down! We don't want to spend all day here, I'm sure you have all got far more interesting things to do…"

A few catcalls and sniggers accompanied this comment and Emmett turned to glare at his two oldest sons.

"Okay! Now, you guys already know the rules – but let me state the obvious: There will be no underage drinking, we don't care who your father is, or how much money you have…"

There was more laughter and Carlisle and Charlie stood up to stand on either side of Edward. After a moment, Jasper and Emmett joined them.

After a few seconds, the only sound was a couple of low grumbles and then an uncomfortable silence.

Edward nodded, "That's better. Everyone entering this party will be searched and checked for narcotics and that includes all of you."

Jackson jumped up angrily, "What? Oh come one Dad! This isn't a police state! What is the point of having a party if your spies are going to be sniffing around?"

Carlisle put a hand on Edward's shoulder as his face grew redder by the second.

"Let me answer that, Son." He said quietly before he turned to look at his grandchildren and their friends.

"First of all, this is still Cullen property and until such time as the deed is passed onto the next generation, Esme and I are still ultimately responsible for what happens here and let me make this clear to all of you, there will be no recreational drugs on this property – ever! You are all here by invitation, even my grandchildren, so please do not abuse the trust that Nana and I and Grumpy and Granny Sue have put in all of you. The security team will be on hand for the full duration of this shindig. They will have full access to every area of the grounds and the main house – unlike the rest of your guests."

Carlisle's blue eyes lightened to hard steel as he looked from one to the other, "There will be no open access to any bedrooms, unless it is your own. If your guests take advantage of that and they are caught, they will be asked to leave immediately, no exceptions!" Carlisle smirked as he glanced around the room, "Jack, Lexi, I hope that you will thoughtfully supply condoms for your guests, we don't want any unexpected 'surprises' landing on our doorstep."

The girls in the group blushed profusely and tittered nervously, while the guys guffawed and made a few 'blush-worthy' comments. It was the adults that responded with shock and horror.

"DAD!"

"_CARLISLE!"_

Carlisle looked at his children and shook his head, "We may be old, but we aren't stupid, right?"

He ignored their disapproving glares as he looked back at the young people who all looked eager to get on with the exciting task of setting up for the party. The guys were going to be setting up a 'chill' area made up of extra large cushions, a couple of outdoor rugs and a pile of throw blankets in case the wind picked up, a few sofas all situated around a fire pit. In addition to that, the dance floor and stage that had been used for Edward and Bella's celebration had been moved to the grass area in front of the beach.

The girls were going to be busy with the enormous amount of snack platters that had been made. A barbeque would be catered later in the evening, but the adults knew only too well how much food teenagers could pack away in one sitting.

"Well, I think that we can leave you kids to it, so from Nana and I – have a wonderful birthday, Alexis and Jackson!"

Everyone let out a cheer and there was a lot of shuffling around as the youngsters quickly cleared the area.

Edward saw a movement out of the corner of his eye and he swung around to glare at Rio who was chatting quietly with Alexis.

"Alexis!"

Lex looked at her father, and she wasn't really surprised to see that he looked pissed as he looked at how close she and Rio were standing.

"Yes Daddy?" she asked in a soft tone as she looked at her father from under her lashes.

Beside her Rio shifted uncomfortably as he tried to hide his snort at her 'little girl' tone. She was a sneaky one, and he was going to have to watch her antics, he thought to himself.

Edward rolled his eyes at her, "Okay, okay, I get it! You aren't a teenager any longer and this" he waved his hand at her and Rio, "this is between you two, but I hope you heard what Papa C said. I don't want you wandering off tonight, okay?"

Alexis blushed as she glanced around at her uncles and Mario's bosses and she glared at her father and took a deep breath.

Alexis shook her head at Edward as she stared at him, "Daddy, that was uncalled for and you know it! And as you know, Mario is working tonight and keeping us safe is his first priority! I hope that you are going to give the same lecture to your sons and nephews in front of their friends!" She spat out before turned around and walked out of the room.

Anderson, Brian and Marcus were uncomfortable in the thick silence that followed and it was Emmett that spoke up, "Santorini, can you see if the latest electronic sweep was clean?"

Mario nodded and he didn't bother to look at Edward as he left quickly. He was so furious at the way that Edward had spoken in such a manner to his daughter in front of everyone. He didn't care about himself, he had dealt with tougher characters than Edward Cullen and he was not intimidated by him or the rest of the family or the size of their bank accounts, but he had seen how embarrassed Lexi was by the comment and he wanted nothing more than to punch the older man in the face! Smarmy bastard!

Anderson turned around and looked at Edward, "Jeez Edward, what the fuck is wrong with you? Santorini has never been inappropriate while he was on duty; in fact he has an impeccable service record both in the forces and on our staff! Now, I'm sorry if you don't like the fact that an older man is dating your daughter, but you don't have the right to embarrass them or us like that!"

Edward glanced sideways to see that Jasper, Carlisle and Emmett were all looking at him with disappointment and he shifted uncomfortably as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fuck! Okay! I get it! And I'm sorry but when I see them together, I just want to…Aaagh!"

Edward gripped his hair in frustration and failed to see his wife almost fly down the stairs until her voice sounded like a ricocheting bullet.

"Edward Cullen! You ass!"

Edward spun around and stared at Bella guiltily, "Baby…"

Bella held up her hand, "Don't 'Baby' me, you asshole, just stop being such a baby about this, Edward! Now this is her birthday and _you will not ruin it for her_, so go and apologize and you had better pray that she forgives you or else you are going to have a very lonely month sleeping on the sofa!"

The men watched Bella walk upstairs and Emmett turned to Edward with a smirk, "Shit, Bro, I think that she just took your balls and put them in her pocket."

It would have been funny if everyone wasn't thinking the same thing, including Edward, so he ignored them as he followed behind his wife slowly.

It took a while but Edward finally tracked Alexis down at the beach where she was helping to string tons of LED fairy lights across bamboo poles that had been set into the sand.

Alexis flicked her long hair over her shoulder as she pointedly ignored her father as he stood at the base of the ladder that she was standing on and it would have been effective too, had she not overstretched and slipped.

Luckily Edward reached up and caught her in his arms.

"Oomph! Damn Pumpkin, you need to be careful! I don't want to have to drive you to the emergency room on your birthday!" Edward exclaimed as he held her securely against his chest.

He heard her friends giggling at his actions but Alexis glared up at him, unimpressed, "Let me go, Daddy!"

Edward pulled her closer as he shook his head, "No, not until you listen to me apologize for being an idiot and upsetting my sweet girl on her special day."

His smile faded as he stared down at the young woman who looked so much like Bella and who had captured such a large part of his heart.

"Please Lexi." Alexis wanted to slap him, but those damn green eyes got her every time!

Alexis bit her lip as she gave him a short nod. Instead of putting her onto her feet, Edward turned and smiled at her friends, "Excuse us girls; we need a father, daughter moment."

As they walked away Alexis heard her friend from university giggle and say quietly, "I'd love to give you a moment, _Mister Cullen_!"

Alexis snorted as she glanced over Edward's shoulder before she looked up at him and linked her hands around his neck, "I am so telling Mom!" she teased.

Edward laughed, "Believe me Honey, right now, Mom couldn't give a damn."

Alexis frowned, "Is that why you came after me?"

Edward stopped walking and he slowly lowered Alexis to her feet.

"No Honey, I knew that I was being a colossal ass as soon as I said what I did, and I was going to find you, but Mom was like a wild lioness and she almost took my head off!"

Alexis laughed softly at the mental image of her mother ripping her father's head off, but then she looked up and she could see how upset Edward was.

"Oh Daddy, please don't be so blustery and puffed up! You need to chill out and just let Rio and I find our way. You can't go around attacking his character or his work ethic just because you don't like the fact that we are seeing each other." Alexis chided gently as she gently tugged on his arms that were crossed over his chest defensively.

Edward pouted, "When did you get so smart, Kiddo?"

Lexi grinned, "I take after my dad."

Edward shook his head wistfully, "You take after your mother. You are just as beautiful, compassionate, intelligent, loving and kind as she is." Edward tucked a strand of her long hair behind her ear, "I am trying to get used to this um, relationship, and I promise that I will try harder."

Alexis nodded, "Are you going to apologize to Rio?"

Edward's temper flared slightly but he pushed it down – now was not the time to blow up, so he swallowed and nodded, "I will. I'm really sorry Alexis."

Alexis reached up and kissed his cheek, "I know that it's difficult for you to accept that I'm a grown woman, Daddy, and we are trying not to parade around in front of you and in any case, Uncle Andy and Uncle Brian keep him so busy that we only have a little time here and there to even see each other."

Edward nodded, "Yeah well, once the party is over, I think that we should have Mario over for dinner," at her look of horror at the prospect of her boyfriend meeting her six siblings, Edward quickly amended his offer, "or we can go out to dinner, just the four of us before we introduce him to the 'circus'."

Alexis smiled broadly and nodded, "That sounds much better, thank you Dad. Well I'd better get back there. Who knows what Tiffany, Maggie and the twins have done."

Edward grimaced and they walked back to the beach where he left her with her friends and he made his way back to the main house slowly.

Andrea and Elizabeth were spending the night with their 'BFF's', Rebecca and Kirsty, Kate and Garrett's daughter and they were all having a sleepover at Kate and Garrett's cottage, while Max, Isabelle and Casey were spending the night at Seth and Jesse. Even though there was three years between Casey and Max, the two boys got along like a house on fire and neither of them minded playing with little Isabelle.

As Edward walked around the side of the house, he saw one of his employees from the ranch on a cell phone. From the distance he was, Edward couldn't hear exactly what he was saying but it was obvious from his hunched shoulders and stiff frame that he was upset.

For some reason, Edward slowed down and moved into the shadows of the tree lined circular driveway.

"… _I know that, Pete, but I'm telling you, he is not just talking about some prank here! He is getting worse…"_

Edward felt a feeling of looming doom settle in the pit of his stomach.

Pete… could it be…no! Surely not, there was no reason that Darryl White would or should know Peter North, but it was just odd that he had been thinking of his old friend just earlier in the day.

Edward shook his head, no, he was being ridiculous, he told himself and he was just about to make his presence known when Darryl White said something that stopped Edward in his tracks.

Darryl had been pacing more and more frantically until he stopped suddenly quite close to where Edward stood in the deep shadows.

"…_WHAT? Peter, you are joking, right? That is crazy! No, I don't think that it's a good idea and just remember something…" the look on Darryl's face made Edward's heart beat faster because what Darryl was trying to hide beneath his false bravado was fear. _

Pure and simple fear was almost seeping out of him even as his voice became low and threatening. Edward had won enough awards for acting to know acting when he saw it and Darryl White was trying to act away the fact that he was terrified either of the other person on the phone or of what that person was saying to him.

"_Listen to me, you stupid, fucking asshole, if anything and I mean anything happens to any of these kids… Yeah? Well, I'm telling you, if anything happens to any one of them, this entire fucking house of cards is going to come down around your heads – you, that fucking nut job, the 'chief' and that crazy fucking Denali girl… No! I don't give a flying fuck about myself, the Cullen's have never treated me with anything but decency, when no one else gave a shit about me!... I only scared him to keep him quiet and it's worked! You don't have to do anything to him – the kid hasn't said a word to anyone!" White gave a hard bark of laughter, "I know that because if he had – you, the chief, the crazy chick and I would either be dead or rotting in jail! ...Yeah, right! You only offered to keep me happy and doped up so that I could do your dirty work for you and he…"_ he turned away from Edward slightly, _"well, when you get here, just steer clear of me – just act as if you don't know me!"_

With that Daryl snapped his phone shut and let out a growl of anger and frustration. Peter had phoned him with more half assed and wild plans and something inside Darryl had just snapped.

He had watched the Cullen's closely over the past few weeks and he had not seen anything like the evil that Peter and Larry said that they were capable of. Edward and Bella Cullen had even personally invited him and the rest of the staff to help themselves to food and refreshments in the main house and on the night of their vow renewal, everyone on the compound had been invited to enjoy the buffet that had been set up for the staff in the main staff quarters. Darryl tapped his phone against his thigh.

"_They are decent people… nothing like they said… I can't do this, but what the fuck am I going to do?"_ he stared down at gravel as he scuffed his work boot.

After a moment his walkie-talkie crackled to life and with a sigh Darryl turned and strode away, talking into the mobile unit.

Edward stood in the tree line for a few minutes. His stomach was churning and his heart was beating like crazy and he knew that he needed to calm down.

_What the fuck had he just overheard? What was going on? It was obvious that whoever Darryl had been talking to had some sort of hold over him and was trying to coerce him to do something to someone, one of the members of his family!_

Edward moved into the forest and sat down heavily on a fallen tree.

What was he going to do? If he confronted Darryl, who knew whether he would talk and Edward knew that it was vital that they knew who else was involved in whatever scheme they were planning.

Obviously he should tell someone but what was he going to say? Nothing was definite, nothing was clear – he just needed to try and figure out who he could trust and what to do.

*ΩafloΩ*

Edward thought over what he had heard as he tried to puzzle things out. He didn't know how long he sat there for, but his phone rang in his pocket and he saw that it was Bella.

"Hey baby,"

"Edward, where have you been? You've been gone for almost two hours, honey! The others are going to be here soon to pick us up." Bella said impatiently.

Two hours? How had he zoned out for that long?

Edward shook his head, "Sorry B, I'm coming up the drive now."

"Okay, but hurry."

Edward hurried onto the gravel path and took the front steps three at a time.

Bella was standing in the foyer when he walked in and her keen gaze quickly looked over him.

Usually Edward loved how she would check that he was okay, but now he wanted to hide the truth from her – he was far from okay, so he ducked his head as he rushed by her, "Just give me ten minutes to shower!" he called over his shoulder as he raced up the stairs.

Bella stood staring after his disappearing form – what the fuck was that about? She wondered.

When Bella had spoken to Alexis earlier, she had assured Bella that the talk with her father had gone well, but perhaps it hadn't gone as well as she thought – clearly he was upset.

Bella wanted to go after him, but she pushed the impulse down and decided to let him sort his emotions out on his own. She walked upstairs slower to get ready for the evening ahead which should be a lot of fun because they had reservations at a new five star restaurants and club and they were all looking forward to blowing off some steam.

Carlisle, Esme, Charlie and Sue would be babysitting until the adults got home.

Bella heard the shower shut off just as she stepped into the master suite. She walked into the large walk in closet and slipped off her robe.

"Now that is a sight for sore eyes," Edward's voice rumbled behind her.

Bella felt a shiver of desire run down her spine at the sound of his voice.

She glanced over her shoulder as she reached for her new dress hanging on the rail.

"Hmm, you aren't so bad yourself, Mister Cullen." She was glad to see that Edward's earlier somber mood appeared to be a thing of the past.

Edward stood in the doorway lightly scratching his chest clothed only in a small towel that hugged his hips like a lover and hid nothing.

The atmosphere between them changed – thickened – became almost pregnant with lust as Edward's eyes darkened to black when he spotted the dress that Bella had slipped into.

"Is that..? Fuck Baby Girl, you can't expect me to keep my hands to myself tonight if you wear that!" he spat out.

Bella smirked as she looked at the dress in the mirror while she smoothed the material over her hips.

The dress itself with deceptively simple, a white strapless sheath that ended a couple of inches above her knees. But it was the black length of fabric that began as a single shoulder strap that wound diagonally across her chest and twisted over the should before the fabric wound around the dress – and her body – almost like _rope_ that twisted around her body and ended with a twist at the bottom of the skirt.

Bella had fallen in love with it from the moment that she had seen it. It reminded her of the way that her master work Shibari ropes over her body and when Bella met Edward's pitch black eyes, she knew that he was thinking the same thing – imaging the same thing – _her standing before him as he twisted and worked the silky black rope over and under her breasts… down her sternum, twisting here and there so that the knots were strategically place to torment her and bring her to a slow boil… until…_

"Isabella!" Edward growled as his fingers tightened on her hips, pulling her back against the very prominent evidence of his arousal.

Her eyes flew up to meet his in the full length mirror. His nose traced the line between her bare shoulder, up her neck to the sweet spot behind her ear.

"Isabella" he growled again,

"Master" Bella felt her stomach tighten as she uttered the word.

Edward's hands tightened on her skin.

"Later?" he asked as he sucked the skin behind her ear.

"Please!"

Bella wasn't ashamed to beg.

When Edward looked at her in the mirror, Bella was shocked and thrilled to see that his eyes were black and stormy.

He took his time as he ran a finger down the curve of her neck and along her bare shoulder as his eyes smoldered into hers.

Bella's heart stuttered as she stared up at him with wide eyes.

"Later, Isabella."

Her breath caught in her throat and all she could do was nod blindly.

Edward smirked as he dropped a peck onto her shoulder before he turned away and dropped his towel. Edward knew that Bella was watching as he slowly scratched his chest. He half turned so that she could see how hard his dick was.

He hummed a tune as he brought one hand up and casually stroked the hard length as he looked at his trousers hanging in his closet.

"Baby? Is this thing casual enough for a pair of dark jeans or what?" he asked.

Behind him, Bella was unaware that she had stopped breathing as she watched him touch himself, but his voice brought her out of her lust induced haze and she gasped, coughing a little as she caught her breath.

"Wha – what?"

Edward schooled his face into a concerned mask, "Are you okay, Baby?"

Bella nodded before her eyes narrowed, "Why you little tease! You did that on purpose!"

Edward laughed, "Nothing little about me Darlin'!"

Bella rolled her eyes, "Whatever, 'Stripper-pole Sue', just get some pants on before your brother arrives, because you know that he will just barge in here!"

Edward laughed again as he quickly dressed in a pair of dark washed jeans, a black button down shirt and black boots.

Bella checked her make up in the mirror one last time just as someone banged on their door and the next minute it flew open.

"Cover up your nasty little bits bro, we're coming in, ready or not!" Emmett boomed as he strode into their bedroom with Jasper, Alice and Rosalie following closely behind him.

Emmett and Jasper looked a little disappointed when they spotted Bella and Edward in the middle of the room fully clothed.

Bella looked up at her husband and grinned, "I should have put money on that," she said as they chuckled.

"Money on what? Money on what? What are you talking about?" Emmett still hated being kept out of the loop.

Bella walked over to her brother in law and reached up to give him a noisy kiss on his cheek, "Nothing Em, now let's go! I am so ready for some adult company!"

Alice squealed as she snatched Bella from Emmett's side, "Mine!" she said as she threaded her arm through Bella's and Rosalie's and pulled them out the door, "Let's go girls!"

"Alice, you do know that we are not girls any longer right? We can't go around acting like teenagers." The men heard Bella say.

"Oh bullshit and dust, woman! Age is just a number, bitch, so speak for yourself!" Rose growled.

"Watch it, Rose! I almost tripped!"

"Like that's any different!"

They could hear the women bickering all the way down the stairs.

Emmett looked from Jasper to Edward with a grin, "They never change. Shall we?"

Edward smirked, "Damn straight!"

"Let's blow this pop stand!" Jasper retorted.

As Edward closed his bedroom door, he thought about what he had overheard that afternoon and he made a mental note to speak to Emmett the following day.

*ΩafloΩ*

The birthday party was in full swing as Jackson, Jared, Joshua and Stephen stood around the wet bar talking.

"So, little Cuz, just a year away from being 'legal'! You angling to get some pussy tonight?" Jared asked with a laugh as he tapped his paper cup to Stephen's.

Joshua snorted as he finished the last of his beer and reached over to help himself to another. As he rolled back up he met Marcus' steady gaze. Joshua held his bottle up in mock salute and rolled his eyes as Marcus smirked and looked the other way.

"Good man," he commented as he passed a beer to Jackson.

Marcus had pulled the guys aside earlier and in spite of the instructions from Edward and Carlisle, Marcus had told them that his team was not there to enforce the 'no underage drinking law' that Edward and Carlisle had ordered, because he knew that it would be futile. He had stressed that the guys were to drink responsibly and that the security team wouldn't hesitate to intervene if things got out of hand.

Jackson looked around at their friends, drinking, dancing and having a great time and shrugged, "I'm not like you Jared; I don't dip my wick into any pot that presents itself to me. I've got a little class, you know!"

Stephen burst out laughing as Jared mock glared at his cousin, "Fuck you, asshole! I double bag my shit up! You are just way to picky, man! Look at all that pussy out there!"

He winked at a pretty blonde girl who was swiveling her hips like a professional pole dancer. The girl gave a little squeal of excitement and giggled with her friend.

Joshua rolled his eyes before he met Jackson's amused gaze, "Numb Nuts better double-bag that shit because if he comes home with a knocked up honey pot, Ma is going to go 'Kill Bill' on his ass!"

Jared straightened up and patted his wash board abs under his white wife beater.

"Whatever bitches, let Uncle Jared show you how it's done!" he said before he sauntered across the sand to where the blonde was now licking her lips in anticipation.

When Jared reached her, he began to move his hips as he snaked one leg between hers. The girl looked ready to pass out as Jared smiled and slipped an arm around her tiny waist.

Stephen shook his head, "He really has no scruples, does he?" he said with a mixture of reverence and horror.

Jackson put his beer down on the counter, "Thank God that he is going to become a lawyer, at the rate that he's going, he is going to need to be a fucking great one to dodge the paternity lawsuits that are going to be filed against him."

Jared laughed, "Stop worrying about him, Bro, go and have some fun – it's your party for fucksakes!"

Jackson smiled and he pushed himself forward to where a group of people had gathered around the fire pit.

He spotted his twin off to one side with Mario Santorini. Jackson thought back to the day before his parents vow renewal ceremony.

_He had sensed that something was up with Alexis for a few days, but had not been able to spend any time with her until that morning._

_They were packing up to return to the house when Alexis walked into the guy's tent. She looked relieved to find it empty, except for Jackson who was doing a last minute check that the guys had packed everything._

"_Hi," Alexis said as she walked inside._

"_Hey," Jackson smiled as he walked over to Sam's locker. He mumbled something as he pulled out a T-shirt._

_Alexis checked under Max's bed and around it. She grinned as she picked up Leggo® blocks, a few small cars and an 'army' man._

_Alexis sat on the side of the camping bed as Jackson packed the last few things into his bag. _

_When he was finished he looked up to see his sister staring at him as she nibbled her thumb nail, a sure sign of her nervousness. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she lifted her wide brown eyes to his._

_Jack didn't say a word as he sat down opposite her and took her hand gently out of her mouth._

"_What's the matter, Sissy?" he asked gently._

_Alexis felt unexpected moisture gather in her eyes as she stared into her twin's eyes. They were so different and yet they were two halves of a whole. Ying and Yang, black and white. Opposites and yet the same. No one in the world knew her the way that Jack did. No one understood every nuance of every mood like her twin brother. There was no one that was more of a champion, more of a defender and a protector than he was for her._

_And it was the same for Alexis. As siblings her parents had brought them up to be strong, independent individuals and they had never forced Alexis and Jackson or Elizabeth and Andrea to be 'twinny' or the same as each other. Bella, Edward and the rest of the family treated them as siblings but not as siblings that were joined at the hip. Although Alexis was two minutes younger than her brother, she was no less protective, supportive or adoring._

_But now, Jackson sensed that his twin was vulnerable as he gently brushed his thumb over the slightly ragged edge of her thumb nail._

"_What's going on?"_

_Alexis gave a small shrug, "I've um, I've met someone," she whispered._

_For a moment Jackson felt a stab of jealousy. It was almost as if his heart knew that he was being replaced as the most important person in his sister's life and more importantly, her heart._

_His brow crinkled, "What?"_

_Lexi licked her lips, "I've met someone." She said a little louder._

"_Do I know him?"_

"_I'm not sure, you may have seen him around. It's um, it's, shit, why is this so hard?" Alexis shook her head in frustration before she took a deep breath and slowly let the air out, "It's one of the security team, Mario Santorini? Do you..." she began but Jackson cut her off._

"_I know who Santorini is, and no disrespect to either of you, but what the fuck does he want with you, Alexis? He is what? Thirty-five… forty? Is that what you are into? You got some sort of 'daddy issues'?" His voice was harsh in the tent._

_Alexis glared at her brother and jumped to her feet, "Stop it! Don't be an asshole, Jackson!"_

_Jackson rose slowly to his feet as they glared at each other._

"_Alexis, what do you know about him?" he asked softly, as he tried a different tactic._

_Alexis snorted, "What? Only you know your own mind and what you want? Only you are allowed to make decisions about your life and your future? Just because I wasn't looking or planning on falling in - falling for someone, it doesn't mean that I'm opposed to it."_

_Jackson hadn't missed the slip of Alexis tongue and he wanted to find Santorini and punch his pretty face! However when he looked up, he saw something in Alexis' eyes that made most of his righteous indignation fade away._

"_Look, Jack, I'm not saying that this is it, but …" her large expressive eyes told him otherwise, "I really like him and he likes me. I just need you to support me. I know that this isn't a typical situation, but then again, who in our family is 'typical'?"_

_Jackson took a steadying breath and let it out slowly. She was right; he needed to support her. This wasn't about him liking or even approving of Mario. This was about him standing beside his sister and supporting her decision, no matter what. She had been there for him through all of his crap and now it was time to step up for her._

"_You are right, Lex. I'm sorry for the knee jerk reaction there. You kind of sprang it on me, you know? Of course I'm on your side." Jackson ran his hand though his messy hair._

"_Thanks, that's all I ask."_

_Jackson held his arms open, "Come here."_

_Alexis flew across the small space and she let out a sigh of relief as her brother's arms closed around her. Few people could make her feel as safe as she felt at that moment. Her father, Jackson and of course, Rio. The first time that he had hugged her, Alexis had been shocked at how 'at home' she had felt._

_That was the first inkling that this man was different._

_Jackson pressed his lips to the top of his sister's hair, "I love you Sissy."_

_Alexis' arms tightened around his trim waist, "No one will ever take your place, Jack, not ever."_

_They had savored the moment before the sounds of their family broke them apart._

Alexis had introduced Jackson to Mario when they had returned home and after spending a short while in the older man's company, it had become obvious to him just how infatuated they were with each other. That hadn't stopped Jack from seeking Mario out later that evening.

"_Mario! Can I have a word with you?" Jackson had asked._

"_Sure, what's on your mind?" Mario had guessed just what Alexis' twin wanted to say to him and he had even told her that he was expecting to be cornered by one or all of her siblings._

_Jackson ran a hand through his unruly hair as he formulated his thoughts._

"_Look, I can see that you are quite 'taken' by my sister, but you have to understand that this is really sudden and she hasn't been in a serious relationship before…" Jackson let out a sigh of frustration, "what I'm trying to say is that Alexis is my baby sister, even though she is only two minutes younger than me, she is my baby sister and I love her more than anything and if you ever intentionally hurt or upset her, you are going to have to answer to me."_

_Green eyes stared hard into hazel as Jackson made sure that Mario could see just how serious he was. After a moment of silence Mario held out his hand, "I wouldn't have it any other way, man. Your sister has blown my socks off and I know that the age difference is going to throw people and I am glad that you are here to look out for Lexi. If I ever hurt her, Jackson, I would expect you to head the queue to kick my ass."_

_The two men had shook hands as an unspoken agreement passed between them – Mario was to treat Alexis like a princess and Jackson was going to make sure that he did so._

Jackson was brought back to the present by Sam who bumped his shoulder, "Yo! Dude! Are you asleep on your feet?"

Jackson looked at Sam who was grinning broadly. Jack noticed that the younger teen's arm was around Sadie's shoulders. Sadie was smiling up at Sam adoringly and Jackson let out an impatient sigh, was everyone hell-bent on finding a mate this summer?

"You'd better watch that hand, bro, Riley will nail your ass, and as for you Miss Sadie, you'd better make sure that your daddy doesn't see anything more than friendship between you two, or else it will be a cold day in hell before he lets you out of his sight again!" he said, only half teasing.

Sam huffed as Sadie giggled delicately, "You sound like Grumpy, Jack! Jeez, you are only twenty, not a hundred!"

Sam steered Sadie towards the dance floor with a shake of his head.

Suddenly Jackson felt like the odd man out. All of his best friends and family were here.

His peers.

He should be laughing and joking around and finding a piece of pretty ass for the night, but he didn't want to.

Jackson had always had the ability to remove himself from his surroundings. He wondered if it had anything to do with his desire to control everything around him.

Jackson thought about his conversation with Damitri Conti a few days before. Damitri had listened patiently to him as he had stammered and stuttered his way through the reason for his call.

Eventually, Damitri must have felt sorry for him, because after Jackson had flopped around like a fish out of water, Damitri had taken over the conversation, asking questions without getting too personal or probing.

He had immediately asked for a secure email address and had cautioned Jackson to create a new one that did not have any links to his own email address or identity. He suggested that any and all correspondence to do with his lifestyle be channeled through this 'anonymous' address.

After Jackson had created his new email address and Skype account that was untraceable back to himself, he had emailed his details to Damitri and over the next hour and a half, they had gotten to know one another via Skype.

His uncle and father had been right; Damitri knew hundreds of people who mentored novice Dominants and submissive's all around the world. Damitri chuckled as he described himself as a 'matchmaker' of all people BDSM.

Besides matching trainee and teachers, he and his wife, Jane also took great pride in matching up suitable Dominants with their submissives and Jane had jumped in and added that she was willing to go on a personal quest to set Jackson up with the 'perfect' submissive as soon as he was ready.

Damitri had gently chastised his wife's over enthusiasm as he had explained that it would be some time before Jackson was ready to undertake the 'privilege' of having his own submissive. Jackson had liked Damitri from the start because of his similar views on BDSM to what Jackson believed the lifestyle to be and he liked the fact that both his uncle and his father seemed to share the same philosophy.

Damitri had agreed to take Jackson under his own wing for the time being until he could arrange a meeting between Jackson and a couple of prospective Dominant trainers. He cautioned Jackson that the road to becoming a great Dominant meant that he would have to 'apprentice as a submissive' for a number of months before his Dominant training would begin.

Jackson had agreed after he had read through the contract that Damitri insisted on sending him. He felt the thrill of anticipation as he thought about his first assignment that he was waiting for him in his inbox.

"Hi, are you Jackson?"

He looked down at the sweet voice that had spoken his name and almost gaped. The young woman could have only been about five feet three or four inches tall, but her exquisitely beautiful face almost knocked Jackson to his knees.

She was smiling up at him quizzically with her perfectly arched eyebrows reminding him that she was waiting for a response.

"Um, yes! I mean, yeah, I'm Jackson."

Jackson inwardly cringed at the crackle in his normally melodious voice and he cleared his throat nervously.

The woman let out a giggle that had Jackson's toes curling into the soft sand.

She held out a delicate hand to him.

"Hi, I'm Bonnie Applegate. I'm friend's with Alexis." She said.

Bonnie's voice was bubbly but instead of being annoying it sounded beautiful and fitted her perfectly.

Jackson reached out and he could not suppress the shock on his face as an electrical current shot through him at the contact.

They stared at their hands for a moment before Jack reached out again and took the small hand in his. The electricity was not unpleasant and Bonnie felt her hand tightening within his grasp.

"Hi," Jack said quietly.

"Hi,"

They stared at each other as everything around them seemed to disappear.

"H-happy Birthday," Bonnie whispered.

"Thank you,"

Without either of them being aware of it, they had moved closer together so that their hands were almost trapped between them.

"You know my sister?"

"Yes, she is one of my best friends at UCLA."

Jackson was excited that this woman was friends with his sister, but he felt deeply disappointed that she went to school on the opposite side of the country to him.

"You are at Johns Hopkins in Balimore?" she asked and Jackson was thrilled to see disappointment in her expression.

He nodded before his hand tightened on hers.

"Are you going to be a Junior?" he asked.

She nodded, "Yes, I'm studying to become a Theatrical teacher."

Jackson pursed his lips, "So you aren't trying to be the next Hollywood 'big find'?" he asked. He knew that it was unfair, but coming from the family that he did, he had to know what this woman's motivation was in seeking him out.

Bonnie shook her head and her long dark chocolate hair flew around them, "No, goodness, that would be ridiculous! I just love kids and when I was younger, I was really shy, I mean shy to the point of hiding in my room for hours if we had visitors! Anyway, one of my teachers suggested that my mom enroll me in a community theater group in our town and I loved it. Over the years, I discovered a way to channel that shyness and that just inspired me to want to teach other young people to overcome their insecurities with theater! It's a wonderful medium and it teaches kids of all ages to relate and find some communality with each other!"

Jackson was captivated by Bonnie as she spoke about what was obviously her passion. Her dark, almost black eyes sparkled with enthusiasm and her cheeks became flushed and pink. Jackson was fighting an urge to dip his head and touch the pulse that was beating at the base of her throat with his lips.

He shook his head free of these thoughts. He couldn't do this now, he thought to himself.

The silence between them became almost uncomfortable and Jackson watched as uncertainty clouded Bonnie's face.

She took a step back and gently tugged on her hand, "I'm sorry, I tend to get carried away about teaching. I didn't mean to bore you… I'm sorry," she said quickly.

Jackson felt the tug on his hand and was shocked by the uncomfortable tug inside his chest.

Without thinking of the consequences he tightened his grip on her hand and used it to pull her closer until they were almost chest to chest.

He dipped his head so that his mouth was almost brushing her ear, "Don't go! Don't leave… me."

Bonnie's eyes were wide with shock and the pulse in her neck began to beat wildly.

She closed her eyes tightly as she felt electricity hum between them. She didn't know this man and yet just the thought of walking away from him was almost painful!

"O-okay," she whispered as she turned her face upwards so that she was almost nuzzling his neck, "I'll stay… with you."

That was all it took before Jackson swiftly turned around and with his arm clutching Bonnie to his side, he led her to the far side of the beach where there were a few beanbags and cushions surrounding a small fire pit. Thankfully the space was empty and without missing a beat they lowered themselves onto the cushions, still joined and just stared at each other for long moments before Jackson spoke.

"Tell me all about yourself Bonnie Applegate and don't leave anything out."

Bonnie, who hadn't blushed in years, felt her skin heat up as she stared at the impossibly handsome man.

"Okay, but then it's your turn!"

Jackson laughed as he nodded, "Well, I need to warn you, I'm a little boring."

Bonnie threw her head back and laughed, "I doubt that very much, Jackson Cullen!"

Jackson felt his insides melt at the sound of Bonnie's laughter.

*ΩafloΩ*

Rio looked over to where Alexis was staring with a satisfied smirk on her lovely face.

"What's got you looking so smug, my love?" he asked.

Alexis nodded in the direction of the far end of the beach.

"I knew that Bonnie was going to hit it off with Jackson. He needs someone special in his life."

Rio checked the time on his watch. After much discussion and a stern warning not to let his guard down while on duty by Marcus and Anderson; he had been given an hour off to spend at Alexis' party as her guest and his time was almost up.

"Now Tesoro, what makes you think that your brother wants someone in his life right now, hmm? Especially as he has a long way to go before he qualifies as a doctor."

Alexis snorted, "You'll see. A lot of people say that I'm like my aunty Alice, you know – I just know things and I know my brother."

She looked over at the couple again to watch as they moved even closer towards each other.

"Yep; I think that Twin is going to be just fine." She said quietly.

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: I hope that you liked this chapter.**

**Michele**


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: The original characters and plot of the Twilight Saga are the property of Stephanie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended. The storyline of A Family like Ours is mine.

*ΩafloΩ*

**WARNING: THIS STORY CONTAINS EXPLICIT SEX/BDSM SCENES, LANGUAGE – STRICTLY NC-17!

A FAMILY LIKE OURS: A SEQUEL TO PEOPLE LIKE US

CHAPTER 13

Edward leaned back on his elbows that were propped up on the bar counter as he looked at the dance floor. Even though it was dark and the place was crowded, he had no problem in finding Bella amongst the writhing women.

He felt himself harden even more and he was thankful that his button down hid most of his pitiful condition.

He heard a wry chuckle next to him and looked over at his brother-in-law.

"What?" Edward asked as he cast another glance at his wife who was currently moving her hips as her arms and torso undulated in time to the music. She was laughing at something that Alice was saying.

Suddenly slim hands slipped around her waist from behind and Edward's mouth popped open just as Kate pressed her body up behind Bella.

"Fuck. Me."

At first Edward thought that he had spoken aloud but then he heard it again and when he turned around, he noticed that Garrett, Jasper, Emmett, Embry, Paul and Riley stood with similar shell-shocked expressions as their women moved into a circle while Bella and Kate moved inside the circle. When they finished their impromptu performance, Alice and Emily took their place.

Edward heard Jasper gasp like a thirteen-year-old at a Justin Bieber concert as Alice stuck on leg between Emily's and the two women began to see-saw against each other.

"Fuck me; this is better than _'Naughty Nurses Seven!_"

Emmett's comment broke the spell and soon all seven men were doubled over with laughter, although none of them looked away completely.

"Em, I am not even going to ask what or who that is!" Embry said.

"I need a real drink, not this watered down shit!" Garrett announced and suddenly shots of Patron were being passed around.

Edward drank his shot and then quietly ordered a soda water with lime, which is what he had been drinking all evening. He had plans for Bella and himself that night and alcohol was not going to ruin his plans!

He looked over to where Bella and the others were beginning to make their way to the large seating area that had been reserved for them.

Bella was sweaty and in need of a long, cool drink but suddenly she felt an awareness of being watched. She looked up quickly, and met her husband's dark and heated gaze. Even from this distance and in the semi-darkness, she could feel the intensity of his eyes on her.

All night it seemed as if she and Edward were dancing around each other, as they played a 'cat and mouse' game. Outwardly Edward was attentive and a perfect gentleman as he opened doors for Bella, walked just in front of her with his hand resting lightly but protectively on the small of her back. But his eyes were anything but polite and genteel. Edward's heated gaze scorched her skin as he raked his eyes over her body.

With his mouth he asked, "What would you like to drink, Darling?" but with his eyes he said, _'I can't wait to have you naked and in my grasp.'_

Edward's eyes narrowed as Bella licked her plump lips before she answered, "Whatever you think is best, Baby," she looked up at him from under her lashes like a siren.

Edward had been rock hard and throbbing ever since. Now as his eyes met hers, he had to forcibly remind himself that they were not alone and that their family would not appreciate it if he was to yank Bella into a dark corner and rip her clothes off so that he could sink ball deep into her dripping little pussy.

He knew that it was dripping by the way that Bella rubbed her thighs together as she licked her lips from time to time.

Every part of Edward's body felt hypersensitive. His shirt felt as if it was covered in a thousand tiny needles and every shift of his body caused his skin to flinch and ripple. Bella's touch was the sweetest torture of all. Her small fingers danced over the collar of his shirt, gently brushing the hairs on the back of his neck, or her sweet breath on his cheek as she giggled into his ear.

Now as she slid into place next to him, her body brushed against his side and he could feel her hard nipples that grazed his arm.

Fuck. He had no idea how he was going to keep from taking her right there on the bar counter!

Bella tried to hide her smirk, but she couldn't and she was on the receiving end of Edward's mock glare.

Bella grinned unrepentantly as she took a long drink from the glass in Edward's hand.

"Hey! That's mine!"

Bella laughed, "Yeah, that's what you were screaming last night when you were balls deep, honey."

Emmett gasped, "Isabella Cullen – you made an 'off color' joke!" he clutched his chest and fell back dramatically.

Alice chuckled at she patted Bella on the shoulder, "Way to go, Twister! I think that our Bells has some game in her that we've never seen!"

"About damn time, Bella, it's only taken you twenty odd years!" Rose quipped.

Bella rolled her eyes as she licked her lower lip, "Oh come on, and you've heard me say 'cock' and 'pussy' before! I'm plenty risqué when I want to be!"

Bella looked up at the sudden silence and saw that everyone was staring at her open mouthed.

She shrugged, "What?"

Riley seemed to recover first as he let out a loud laugh, "Well hell, Bella, I think that you've spent too much time with Emmett!"

Bella dared to look over at Edward and his almost pitch black eyes were glittering dangerously in silent warning – _tread lightly, Isabella _they said to her.

Bella bit her bottom lip nervously. She knew that she was playing with fire but she was feeling reckless. Bella loved the change in their relationship. She felt that it was more open and honest. They were free from a lot of the rules and regulations that had governed them for so long but Bella would be lying if she didn't admit that sometimes she missed her bossy and slightly overbearing Dominant.

Someone changed the subject and the moment was lost as the evening wore on. Hours later they were making their way back to the compound. It was almost two in the morning when they pulled into the circular driveway.

Bella could see that the beach party was still in full swing. They said goodnight to the others and Edward held her hand lightly as they walked up the front steps.

The house was quiet and Bella stifled a scream as a shadow moved at the end of the hall. She shook her head as Marcus moved away from the wall and made his way to them.

"Evening Edward, Bella. Did you have a good evening?"

Bella had always liked Marcus, even though he looked dangerous. He was hard looking, handsome in a non-negotiable kind of way. His steel grey eyes hid secrets and gave nothing away, and Bella knew that she trusted him with her life and the lives of her family.

"It was great to be out without the kids. How have things been around here?" Edward asked.

The corner of Marcus' mouth twitched and Bella's eyes widened as Marcus smirked at them, "Calm down, Papa Bear, everything has been relatively calm. A couple of crashers, some kids trying to slip some pot past us and of course, the couples who kept looking for a place 'to be alone'."

Edward let out a breath that he was unaware that he had been holding. Everyone was safe and accounted for – for now.

He saw Marcus frown, as his grey eyes missed nothing. Edward shifted guiltily; he knew that the stable hand's life was going to be worthless once the security team got hold of him. He had no idea why he was even hesitating in spilling the beans, but he felt strongly that they needed to give Darryl some time to come forward on his own. The last thing that Edward wanted to do was to scare him off or worse still, piss him off. Right now he was siding with the Cullen's and Edward knew that he had to keep things that way.

"Well… if there's nothing else, I'll say good night. Most of the kids are bunking down on the beach tonight and then I believe that there is a breakfast buffet?"

Bella nodded, "Yeah, I didn't want anyone driving so late and most of the parents were grateful that we had even thought of that." She smiled as she slipped her arm over Edward's shoulder, "Goodnight, Marcus and thank you for keeping them safe."

"Always."

Marcus nodded at him, but Edward could see Marcus' brain trying to fathom what was going on.

As the front door closed Edward shook all of his worries away as he spun Bella around, "Upstairs, Isabella. Now!"

Bella gasped before she almost flew up the winding staircase and down the hall to their private suite.

Without being told, Bella quickly undressed before she moved back into the bedroom and she stood in the middle of the room with her feet apart and her hands clutched behind her back. Her head was down and her heart was racing as she heard his soft footfalls get nearer.

His black boots came into her line of vision and Bella felt her nipples tighten as goose bumps covered her breasts.

"Isabella, are you _trying_ to kill me?" Edward growled.

Bella barely suppressed a giggle as she quickly shook her head, no.

Edward's fingers were gentle but firm as they tilted her chin upwards until her eyes met his. She bit her bottom lip hard to stop from moaning as she felt his other hand brush over one hard nipple and then the other.

"You are so beautiful, my love."

Edward smirked at the goose bumps that broke out over her neck and chest at the sound of his 'Dom' voice.

"Thank you Master. May I show you how much I desire you?"

Edward stepped back and nodded as Bella dropped to her knees.

Her small fingers made light work of the heave belt buckle, button and zipper and before Edward blinked it seemed that Bella's plump lips were opening and she was sucking his pulsating length into her hot mouth as her tongue flicked and swirled across the sensitive skin of his cock and he could feel the pre cum leaking even as she lapped it up like an overeager kitten.

"Fuck Isabella… you are too much!" Edward gasped as he gripped her hair in his hands. He wanted to fuck her mouth but at the same time, he wanted to savor every moment of the incredible sensations that her raspy tongue and hot, wet mouth was creating.

Bella looked up at Edward from under her lashes as she opened her throat and allowed him to push her head forward. For a moment her gag reflexes kicked in but then she relaxed her muscles and she hummed as she felt his cock swell even more.

Edward was handsome most of the time, but just before he came, he was breathtaking. His mouth was open as he groaned; his jaw slack and his eyes were almost black with lust.

"Baby, I'm gonna… fuck!" there was no time to move, not that Bella would have in any case. She relished feeling Edward's cum shoot down her throat.

In that moment Bella felt so powerful as she watched her husband fall apart under her mouth and hands.

She gently cleaned off his semi soft dick before she sat back on her heals.

Edward felt as if he had run a marathon. Every sensation was heightened as he felt the buzz from his orgasm slowly lessen.

Eventually he opened his eyes and stared down at Bella.

"Come here,"

He held out his hand and Bella smiled as she put her hand in his.

"You are incredible, my Isabella."

"You are too kind, my handsome man."

Edward smirked.

"Come, I've got plans for you tonight."

He led her to the huge bed, "Kneel in the middle of the bed facing the headboard"

Bella obeyed quickly. She wondered what Edward was planning as she heard him move around their room.

A light pinch on her ass made her yelp.

"Stop fidgeting!"

Bella took a shaky breath and forced herself to sit still even when she felt something silky and cool brush against her breasts before she recognized the sensation of the silk rope as it was tightened above and then below her aching orbs before she heard Edward's dark chuckle.

"Your dress gave me a great idea, Isabella. I'm so glad that I packed a few of our favorite playthings." He laughed again, "Well, besides you of course. You have always been my favorite plaything."

The rope was wound around her body, binding her breasts tightly before her arms were bound behind her.

Edward used another length of rope and he began at her ankles, carefully winding each leg to just below the apex of her thighs.

Bella could feel how she was positively leaking all over the bed and his fingers as he teased her outer lips with the soft but firm cord.

"Please..." Bella could feel that her orgasm was just out of reach and she knew that this was exactly what her master wanted.

"Keep those legs apart, Sweetheart. You don't want me to leave you unsatisfied now do you?" Edward cooed.

"No… no Master."

The rope was replaced by the tip of his fingers as he stroked the hood of Bella's clit, until the deep red cherry peaked out at him.

Edward smiled to himself, he knew that Bella was holding on by a thin thread of shear determination.

He sat down on the side of the bed and lifted Bella easily over his lap until he held her hovering above his cock that was so ready for her heat.

"Look at me."

Bella's eyes met Edward's, "I love you."

"I love you."

Edward lowered her onto his thick dick until she was fully impaled. Only then did he begin to move her up and down as his hips met each thrust with a parry of it's own.

Bella dropped her head onto his shoulder as she felt their perspiration mix where her face met the crook of his neck.

"So deep, fuck, baby girl, can you feel that?"

"More, please, give me more!"

Edward reached out and unbound the rope that held her hands and arms bound and as soon as Bella felt the familiar tingle as the blood rushed through her limbs, she leaned back on Edward's lap and put her hands behind her on his knees for leverage and she began to pummel his cock, deep, fast strokes that neither of them wanted to stop.

Edward held her with one hand on her hip while the other reached out and began to twist her nipples until Bella knew that she couldn't hold her orgasm at bay any longer.

"Master! I need to cum!"

"Fuck! Wait… wait. In … three…two…fuck me… one… NOW, COME!"

With that the control that they had been holding onto burst and they cried out as their climaxes erupted.

It was several minutes before either of them tried to move.

"I think that you broke my dick, baby." Edward groaned as he shifted and began to lift Bella off his lap.

Bella giggled, "Yeah? Well, you definitely broke this old lady's hoo-ha."

Edward chuckled, feeling drunk, even though he was completely sober as he leaned over and kissed her, "Don't talk about my pussy that way, love. Unless you want me to show you just how 'young' this hoochie is!"

Edward helped Bella to stand and he quickly untied her, making sure as he went that there was no bruising or marks from the ropes.

Once he was satisfied that she was fine, he led her into the bathroom where the giant thermo controlled bathtub was ready for them. Edward had made sure to set the timer so that it was warm, but not too hot.

As they settled in the water, Bella nestled between Edward's legs as he ran a large sea sponge over her body lazily.

"Did you enjoy yourself tonight?" he asked.

Ever since their reunion, Edward didn't take anything for granted and he knew that he had to communicate with Bella on every level and about everything. He had never been unsure about his wife before, but now, he was very careful to check that she was happy at every opportunity.

"Tonight was wonderful, Edward. I especially enjoyed being tied up again. It was different but at the same time it felt so familiar and sexy. I felt sexy."

Bella whispered the last part as she stared at their legs all tangled up beneath the swirling water.

Edward knew that although he told her several times a day, Bella still had a poor body image and although she was trying, he knew that she still struggled with how she saw herself.

He sighed softly and gently turned her around until she was facing him as she straddled his legs.

"Bella, you are sexy, baby girl. You have the body of a teenager, for shits-sakes! I've seen how the boys' friend gawk at you and the other day I almost smacked one of Nick's friends when I overheard him asking Nick to introduce him to his hot 'sister!"

Bella started to role he eyes until Edward shook his head and held her chin in his fingers gently.

She saw the sincerity in his eyes as he stared at her, "You are the most beautiful woman in the world to me, Isabella. I am in a state of almost constant pain around you! I am so in love with you, that it's scary."

Bella took one hand out of the water and cupped Edward's cheek, "I love you so much, Edward Cullen. Thank you."

This time they made love slowly, gently, whispering sweet words and accolades to each other until finally they were sated and peaceful.

As they climbed into bed, Edward looked at the clock.

"We'd better get some sleep, baby, it's almost three in the morning."

Bella was already half asleep and she grunted as she curled up against his chest, with her one leg hitched over his.

As Edward lay in the dark, his mind went back to the conversation that he had overheard that afternoon.

He hated suspecting his friends but there was obviously something sinister afoot and he knew that he had to bring it to his family's attention.

He pulled Bella closer to his side until she was almost sprawled across his body.

He would die before he let anyone harm a hair on his wife or his children's heads.

*ΩafloΩ*

Everyone got a late start the next day, with the young adults helping to clean up the beach and the outside of the property along with the clean-up crew that Bella had hired, while the women congregated in the main kitchen to prepare a mammoth brunch for the friends that had stayed over the night before as well as all of the adults.

Edward, Jasper and Garrett manned several barbeques outside, preparing sausages, thick bacon steaks, grilled tomatoes, onions and peppers, while Bella, Esme and Arielle made batches of eggs, an assortment of scrambled, fried and poached eggs until there was enough for the almost fifty guests.

Bella handed Edward a plate and they joined most of the adults at the dining room table, while the teenagers preferred to eat outside in small groups.

Bella noticed that Jackson has spent most of the morning in the company of a very pretty brunette whom she recognized as one of Alexis' friends from college.

"Who's that girl with Jack?" Alice asked.

Bella smiled, "That is Bonnie Applegate. She's originally from Minnesota, I think, but she is at school with Lexi."

Alice looked over to where Jackson, Bonnie and Alexis were sitting with a bunch of their cousins and friends, and even from a distance it was easy to see how Jackson and Bonnie seemed to be in a bubble of their own.

"Wow, they seem…" Alice began.

Bella chuckled, "I know, right?"

Rosalie rolled her eyes, "Now don't you two start planning anything! God! Leave the kids alone!"

"Rose, you are just jealous because your two oldest seem to be living Emmett's fantasy life of being man-whores! Or is it men-whore? Jazz?" Alice raised her voice as she spoke to Jasper who was half way down the table, "What's the plural of man-whore?"

"Alice!" Esme squawked, while Emmett and Edward looked amused.

Carlisle cleared his throat, "Mary Alice, that isn't breakfast conversation. There are _young ears_ around." He reminded her as his eyes fell on the table of children nearby.

Bella smiled as she watched as Samuel and Sadie, Riley and Arielle's daughter sat laughing and occasionally helping to butter toast or cut bacon for the twins, Max, Rebecca, Kirsty, Garrett and Kate's youngest child, Casey and Isabelle at the 'kids table'. The younger kids were staring at Sam and Sadie with adoration as they joked and laughed.

At that moment, Bella's heart felt so full of love and contentment. It didn't happen often, especially when there were seven children in the house and multiple nieces, nephews, in-laws and extended family members around, but for one small moment of time everyone seemed happy and everyone was safe.

Bella felt someone watching her and she looked down the table until she met the warm gaze of her husband.

"I love you," Edward mouthed.

Bella smiled but that quickly changed when she saw something else in Edward's eyes.

Worry.

Bella raised her eyebrows in question, but Edward shook his head slowly. Just as Bella was going to get up to question him, Seth drew her attention away and the moment was lost.

Edward had woken up surprisingly early. He had not gotten much sleep, despite the fact that Bella had worn him out and he wasn't as young as he once was. He knew why he hadn't slept properly – the conversation that he had overheard the day before. Edward gently moved Bella away and he slid out of bed. He found a writing pad and pen in his bedside drawer.

Quickly, Edward got up and pulled on a pair of sleep pants before he made his way into the bathroom where he perched on the side of the bathtub and he quickly wrote down everything that he remembered from the one-sided conversation that he had overheard.

Years of learning lines proved to be useful, as Edward remembered almost word for word what Darryl White had said.

He remembered the words that made his blood run cold.

_Listen to me, you stupid, fucking asshole, if anything and I mean anything happens to any of these kids… Yeah? Well, I'm telling you, if anything happens to any one of them, this entire fucking house of cards is going to come down around your heads – you, that fucking nut job, the 'chief' and that crazy fucking Denali girl… No! I don't give a flying fuck about myself, the Cullen's have never treated me with anything but decency, when no one else gave a shit about me!... I only scared him to keep him quiet and it's worked! You don't have to do anything to him – the kid hasn't said a word to anyone!"_

Edward was almost certain that White was the reason that Max had been so scared. He wanted to smash the ranch hand's face in just thinking about how and why he had chosen to scare the little boy. His baby. Bella's baby.

He pulled the pages from the notepad and folded them over before he took a shower and dressed in cargo shorts and a T-shirt. He put the folded note paper into his back pocket. He needed to speak to the men in his family as well as the security team without alerting Bella or the other women. He didn't want to scare anyone until it was absolutely necessary. He knew that they were all safe on the compound and they were scheduled to be together for the next several weeks, so hopefully they had time.

The one thing that worried him was who the 'Peter' was that Darryl had been speaking to and who was the 'Chief' and the 'Denali' girl.

Denali…Denali… the only reason that the name stood out was because that was James' last name. As far as he knew the Denali had never returned to the States after the scandal with James. The last he had heard was that Carmen Denali had died several years before in Canada where she and Eleazar had settled. It was an unusual name but Edward didn't think that there was any link between whoever this woman was and James Denali, who had tried to harm Bella, Alice, Rosalie and Kate so many years before.

With a sigh, Edward straightened his shoulders and walked out into the bedroom where Bella was just waking up. He put a smile on his face as he determined to gather the others later that day.

*ΩafloΩ*

Later that day, Carlisle suggested that the men take the pontoon out on the lake. The women had taken all of the younger children to an amusement park on the other side of the lake. The older children had scattered to various activities and Edward saw this as the perfect opportunity to speak to the guys.

Edward asked Brian and Anderson to join himself, Carlisle, Emmett, Garrett, Riley, Seth, Charlie and Jasper.

After Emmett had passed cold beers around, Edward stood up and cleared his throat, "Um, guys, listen, I need to tell you all about what I overheard yesterday afternoon…"

He quickly relayed the circumstances around the overheard conversation. He pulled the crumpled paper from his pocket and he read what he had written that morning.

"WHAT THE FUCK, EDWARD? WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING?" Emmett roared.

Edward glared at his brother, "Shut the fuck up, Emmett! I'm telling you now! They are safe right now, right?"

"Turn this fucking boat around, Dad; we are going to get answers from this fucker!" Emmett snapped at Carlisle.

"NO! NO! WAIT! JUST FUCKING WAIT!" Edward bellowed at Emmett.

Everyone looked at Edward.

"Listen, do you think that I didn't' want to kick his ass? My kid has been scared shitless for the past few months because of him! But if we go in now with guns blazing, we could lose the only lead that we have! He isn't acting alone and I told you, I don't think that this guy is our biggest worry – there are others out there who want to hurt my kids or our kids and that is what we need to focus on here! Just think about this, Emmett, you know that I would rather die than let anything happen to Bella or the kids, but what worries me, is that there are other people out there – at least another three people that are in on this and those are the people that we need to find." Edward was panting by the time that he had finished his diatribe.

Emmett was standing almost toe-to-toe with him and Edward could see the fear and anger in his eyes, but he stood his ground. He was right and Emmett knew this.

Edward watched as Emmett gave him a quick nod of agreement before he turned around and looked at the others who had not said a word yet.

"So, what are we going to do?" The question came from Jasper and Edward was thankful that although his brother in law must be freaking out, his voice was still calm.

Andy looked at his partner and it was obvious that there was some sort of private communication going on before he spoke up.

"Well, from what you overheard, Edward, it seems as though this… plot for lack of a better word is being targeted at you and your immediate family."

At the sounds of protest from Emmett he held his hand up, "But, that doesn't mean that the rest of you are not in the cross hairs. The fact is that we don't know what we are dealing with right now and until we do, we have no idea how to hit back or even who were are fighting against."

Charlie cleared his throat, "How safe is everyone here at the compound?"

Brian spoke up, "Currently there are ten men on duty, not including the electronics team. That makes twelve in total. There is an outer alarm and an inner alarm sector in place, twenty-four seven. In addition, we manually patrol every three to five hours, but we change it up so that there is no routine and we don't hide our presence so I think that everyone is very safe here."

"How many men are out with the girls today?" Carlisle asked quietly.

"Because of the number of children, we have a team of four men." Anderson answered.

"Well, what is the plan now?" Seth asked.

Anderson pursed his lips, "First of all we are going to put a tap onto Darryl White's phone and we are going to delve into mister White's background until we know everything that there is to know about him – including how the hell he made it through our initial security clearance. Once we know what we are dealing with, we should be able to trace whom his acquaintances' are. When we know that – we will know what our next steps are."

"How long are you guys here for?" Riley asked. He, Arielle and Sadie were heading back to New York after the Fourth of July weekend.

"We are supposed to be here for another two or three weeks after that, so that we can take the kids shopping for school supplies and clothes and I know that Bella wants to plan a weekend in San Francisco for the older ones before they fly back to college."

Jasper and Emmett nodded in agreement, they knew of the plans that the girls had regarding their older children.

Edward grimaced, "She wanted to take Nicholas to school, but he flatly refuses to allow her to do that. He will take his car to Stanford after the 'farewell weekend' and book himself in at the dorms, thankfully he will have Chris with him and they are sharing a room, so Bella doesn't feel too bad."

Brian held out his hand, "I don't want you to panic and I know that it is much easier said than done. All of the Whitlock/Cullen kids and spouses are wearing their tracker devices, correct?"

Emmett, Jasper and Edward nodded.

"Okay, that is great and it goes a long way to ensuring their safety. Those trackers are not detectable to electronic devices so that even if they are swept or scanned, nothing is going to show up. Max, Rebecca and the twins have had additional trackers placed in various items of clothing like shoes, pajamas, his bikes, Max's stuffed animal etcetera and we know that all of them are working because we test them on a daily basis."

Brian looked at the three men, "We can get creative with the younger children, perhaps Bella and Rosalie can assist with that or Charlie but we need to be absolutely honest and open with the older ones about being alert at all times, being weary of strangers and suspicious characters, but as long as they continue to be vigilant, there is a minimal chance of someone taking them."

Charlie spoke up again, "What about if…" he looked at Edward apologetically, but he was a cop through and through and he had to know that there was a contingency plan in place in the event that something happened.

"Charlie, don't even think it!" Carlisle said but Seth chose that moment to step forward.

"Carlisle, none of us want to think of a 'worst case scenario' but we have to! If something happens and we get 'the call' – I want to know what happens next! I want to know what to do for my sister and brother! I'm not just going to sit in my house and wait for some fucking madman and his posse to ride off with one of our kids!"

Charlie put a hand on Seth's shoulder, "Easy Son, Carlisle isn't the enemy here."

Seth sighed, "Yeah I know. I'm sorry Carlisle."

"Apology accepted, Seth, but you brought up several good points." He looked at Brian and Andy, "Is there a plan? If so, are you going to tell us?"

"Yes, we have a plan. Emmett you should be familiar with it – you wrote it." Anderson looked over to where Emmett was sitting next to Seth.

Emmett nodded.

Anderson looked over to Brian in silent communication before he looked back at everyone, "We will call a meeting with the shift on duty when we get back and brief them, but for now we are going to keep the identity of the suspect to ourselves, just until we have had time do a thorough background check on Mister White. By the end to today we will not only know where he went to preschool and what his teachers names were, we will know when he takes a piss and when he sneezes! Once we know everything that we need to, we will decide if it's necessary to let everyone know, or if we just keep this between us."

"Why not tell everyone? Surely if everyone knows, then they will be extra vigilant?" Garrett commented.

Brian nodded, "That's true, but if there is still a threat out there then everyone is going to be completely panic-stricken and paranoid. And I don't think that Bella, Alice or Rosalie will let anyone out of their sight and that's going to lead to all sorts of problems!"

This time everyone nodded in agreement and a bit of the tension was broken.

Instead of heading back to shore, Carlisle suggested that they continue with their afternoon, and the rest of the group agreed.

Two hours later, they all felt a lot more relaxed, even though they were all a little subdued.

Riley sat next to Edward at one point, as Edward stared blindly out at the lake.

Emmett and Jasper had decided to Jet Ski and they were bouncing around while Carlisle and Charlie sat talking to Seth and Brian. Anderson and Garrett had volunteered to prepare the late afternoon snacks that Esme had packed for them.

"You okay?" Riley asked quietly.

Edward shrugged, "How can I be? I promised Bella that I would not keep any secrets from her again, but Riley, I just couldn't tell her last night, I had to give her one more night of peace!" Edward shook his head as he raked his hands through his already messed up hair.

"Fuck! I wish that just once, just one time – things would be easy!" he let out a bark of harsh laughter, "Nothing between Bella and I is ever easy, never has been, never will be."

He sighed and turned to look at Riley, who had become one of his closest friends, "Bella is going to go nuts."

Riley shook his head, "That is if you tell her – look I know what Seth said and what Brian said, and I must say that Brian and Anderson make a lot of sense. The very last thing that you want is to have eight people walking around terrified of their own shadows!"

"Yeah but"

"Just listen to me: yes there is a risk if you don't tell them, but you have one of the best security details in the world working to keep everyone safe. You have electronic trackers on everyone and you can know at a flick of a switch where everyone is at any given time, right?"

Edward nodded.

"Exactly! So short of keeping them all locked up – _you are doing everything possible to keep everyone safe_!"

Edward looked over at the conviction in Riley's voice and Riley nodded, "I'm right, aren't I?"

Edward rolled his eyes and nodded, "Yeah, I guess, but it doesn't sit any easier, you know?"

"I know, Edward. I mean we are all the way in New York but you can bet your last dime that I'm going to keep a closer eye on Sadie and Arielle until this whole thing blows over."

"I'm sorry that you've been dragged into this man, I…"

"Relax, E, you could not in a million years have predicted this happening! It's all good. Our building has incredible security and Ari and Sadie are quite safe. Sadie doesn't venture out alone, unless she is meeting friends and even then our doorman sees her into a cab."

Edward smiled, "She is turning into quite the beauty Riley – you are going to have your hands full when she is older!"

Riley snorted, "Our wives have been planning her and Sam's nuptials for years! I'm not so sure that him going to ROS-D is such a great idea!"

Too late, Riley realized that Edward was looking at him with confusion.

"Isn't that the Rhode Island School of Design?" his green eyes penetrated Riley's blue ones and Riley wanted to wash his mouth out with bleach for saying anything. His godson had made him promise that his application was between them.

"Err… look Edward… I um, I, it's not definite or anything… Please don't… Sam's so afraid of what your reaction is going to be… crap!" Riley looked distraught. He and Samuel had always had a close relationship and the thought that he had jeopardized that in some way was horrible.

If Edward hadn't been so shocked he would have found Riley's stuttering and discomfort amusing, but his mind was racing at the speed of light.

"That's why he came to see you! At spring break, that's why he took his portfolio with him – you wanted to see it! What about his scholarship to Notre Dame? Kids would kill for that!"

Riley held up his hand, "Hold on! He asked me to take a look at his work and I agreed, but when I saw just how talented the kid is, well there was no way that I could let him go into Sports Science without at least exploring his options as a photographer and artist – have you seen his stuff?"

Edward shook his head, feeling disappointed that Sam had not shared that passion with him.

Riley's face lit up, "Well you are in for a treat! The kid's amazing, sure he's a little raw, but the talent is there – in his use of light, his grasp on his subject matter is incredible. I would say that he is going to be at least as talented as Bella, perhaps even more so."

Edward felt proud but sad, "I didn't know that this meant so much to him. I mean sure, I've been buying him equipment for years and he is usually the one to capture the family snaps but I just thought that it was a hobby, you know?"

Riley shook his head, "I was the first person that he told about wanting to change his career path. I think that he is terrified to disappoint you. He knows that Bella will support him, being an artist, but your opinion means the world to him, please, please, let him come to you. I offered to take him around ROS-D and he almost pissed himself with excitement and you know how rare it is to get any teenager exited about anything!"

The two men laughed before Edward turned to his friend with a genuine smile, "Thank you for being there for Sam, Riley. Bella knew what she was doing when she suggested that you be Sam's god father."

"Edward, you and Bella have seven incredible kids, but Sam has always been extra special to Ari and I and we will watch over him as if he is our own."

"I know," he gave a short laugh, "but let's see if you feel the same way once he and Sadie break up or something."

Riley's friendly gaze turned icy, "You had better warn your son that there will be no intimate relations with my daughter while he is at college and if they ever do anything – he had better double wrap that shit! He's not making babies with my baby – not for another fifteen or twenty years, Cullen, I mean it!"

Edward was almost double over with laughter as Riley ranted on until Carlisle asked what was so funny and Edward laughed again as he explained Riley's reaction to his comment.

Charlie shared a look with Riley before he glared at Edward, "Should have shot you when I had the chance! Let's just hope that my grandson has more of Bella in him than his father!" Charlie growled while Edward, Carlisle and Seth laughed.

It felt great to laugh and the lighthearted mood continued as everyone ate and the hot sun moved across the sky.

It was almost six before they headed back to the jetty.

As they docked the pontoon, Anderson walked over to when Edward was standing and he put his hand on Edward's arm, "I know that you are scared and pissed off right now, but you did the right thing by not panicking and running your mouth off. This way we will be able to track every single movement, phone call, text or smoke signal that White makes. It sounds as if he doesn't have any person axe to grind with you or any of your family and that is a good thing. It also sounds as if he is in a situation that he wants out of – and we are going to help him but at the same time we have to find out who else is involved and that may take a few days. You have always trusted us, trusted me with your loved ones, Edward – trust me now."

Edward nodded as he felt a rush of emotion at the burning honesty in Anderson's eyes. He knew that Anderson would gladly give his life for Bella – he had always been that protective of her and their children.

"Thank you Cordon." Very few people ever called Anderson by anything other than 'Andy' or 'Anderson' but Edward wanted Anderson to know how much his loyalty, friendship and dedication to his family meant to him.

Anderson smiled a rare smile, "No worries, Edward, we got you."

Seth voiced the question that was on everyone else's minds just as they were about to climb into the jeeps and head back to the main house, "So, what do we do now?"

Everyone understood what he meant. The security team was going to have their hands full for the next few days but what about the rest of them – they now all shared the knowledge that Edward had and they had unanimously agreed to keep it to themselves for the time being.

Brian looked at them with an almost stern look on his face, "For now, you carry on as normal. Keep your eyes and ears open and make sure that everyone is accounted for but don't go overboard – it is vitally important that you try to act normal. And I would strongly suggest that none of you talk about this outside of the 'war room'. It is the only room on the compound that is absolutely safe from prying ears and eyes – remember Darryl White must not suspect a thing. Are we all clear on this?"

As he looked from one to the other, each man nodded or murmured his agreement and seemingly satisfied, Brian climbed into one of the waiting cars and slowly they all followed.

Thankfully the women and the children were exhausted from their day out and everyone decided to split up early and each family headed home for dinner and bed.

Edward sent Bella to their room after they had tucked the twins and Max in for the night and they had spent a little time with each of their older children.

Now that Edward was aware of Sam's passion, he saw all of the photographic equipment in his room along with his beloved laptop and portable printer. Edward reached out and picked up a photograph that Sam must have taken that day at the funfair. In it Alexis and Jackson were walking arm in arm, while Nicholas held Max on his shoulders. The twins walked in front of him and they were laughing at something that someone had said.

"Wow, Son, this is beautiful."

Edward looked at to see Sam blushing with pleasure at his words of praise.

"You think so, Dad?"

Edward handed the photograph to Bella and looked at Sam again.

"I am no artist, but I do know great work when I see it and that is a great photograph, Sam."

Sam's cheeks were bright red, "Thanks" he said quickly.

Edward chuckled and ran a hand over Sam's hair as it hung in his eyes, "You need a haircut,"

"Maybe we can go together next week?" Sam suggested.

Edward nodded, "Yeah, I think that I could use a cut as well. That's a great idea. Let's do it before the fourth."

Sam nodded, "Cool."

"Okay, well night, Sammy, sleep tight."

Sam just stopped himself from rolling his eyes – his parents hadn't called him 'Sammy' in years, but secretly he kind of liked that his dad used his childhood pet name.

"Night Dad, Mom."

Bella ran her hands though Sam's thick hair, "Night Sweet Boy." She kissed his cheek and smiled as they left the room. They had already chatted with Alexis and Nicholas and Edward knocked quietly on Jackson's door.

"Come in,"

Jack was sprawled across his double bed, while Bonnie, who was staying with them for an indefinite period of time, sat on the overstuff beanbag on the floor.

Bella looked from one to the other, "Are we interrupting?"

Jackson looked at Edward and the two men shared a smile, none of the men in their family would ever tell Bella that she was in fact interrupting.

"Of course not Mom, Dad, come on in." Jackson said with an easy smile.

Bonnie got up as if to leave but Bella waved her back into her seat, "Stay, Sweetie, we've hardly had a chance to talk since you've been here."

"How is school going? Were you happy with your results?"

Bonnie nodded, "Very happy. My parents are still not sure about me being a drama teacher, and they want me to major in English, you know," Bonnie curled her fingers into air quotes, "just in case this 'thing' doesn't work out." She said with a depreciating grin.

Edward watched Jackson as he watched Bonnie. It was easy to see that his son was deeply entranced by the pretty young girl.

"You don't want to act yourself, Bonnie?" Edward asked.

Bonnie shook her head, "No offence, Mr. Cullen, but I want to open up a world of possibilities to someone who doesn't see that talent in themselves." She blushed delicately, "I'm sure that I'm not explaining it properly, I mean you are a great actor and"

Edward chuckled, "You explained it very well and in fact it was a public school teacher that started my acting career."

Bonnie's eyes widened, "Really?"

Jackson groaned and pulled a pillow over his head, "Don't encourage him!"

The others laughed while Bonnie mock glared at him, "Well you don't know how lucky you all are to have parents that encourage you to do whatever you want to! I'm from this tiny town in Wyoming where women either get pregnant or stay or they take whatever work they can find or they leave. My daddy's worked on our small farm all his life and I love him but I just don't want to follow in his footsteps, but your parents have encouraged and supported you to do anything that you want to and that's such a privilege."

Bonnie stopped talking when she realized that the other three people were staring at her.

"Sorry, I tend to get a little passionate about fulfilling one's potential. It's just that too many young people today just seem to meander through life." She said sheepishly.

Bella smiled at her, "Don't ever apologize for being passionate about education or educating children to find their passion. Edward and I have always been very clear on that and our children are well aware of what we expect from them."

Bella patted the young woman's arm, "I know what it's like to work really hard for my education. When I was in college, I had a part scholarship, but I also had three jobs to pay for college. Sometimes I wondered if any of it was worth it, but when I graduated I just knew that it was."

The four adults spoke for a little while longer and Bella was pleased to see that Bonnie didn't seem to be either tongue-tied around Edward, nor was she too forward. Bella also noticed that whenever Jackson would comment, Bonnie's eyes would quickly glance at him and the sparkle in her eyes could not be mistaken for anything other than infatuation.

Soon Bella put her arm around Edward's waist and she gently pulled him to the door.

"Good night kids." She turned to look at Edward, "I'll see you now."

Edward nodded before turned to Jack, "Son, could you step into the hall for a moment?"

Jackson could feel his cheeks heat up as he mumbled his apology and walked out of his room and closed the door quietly before he turned around.

Thankfully his mother was nowhere in sight and his gaze met Edwards for a few seconds.

"Dad…" he silently begged him not to bring up 'the sex talk' at that moment and as Edward gazed at him, he felt sorry for his oldest child, but he also knew that he and Bella had agreed on this years before and he was going to uphold his end of their agreement.

"Jack, no big deal but we just want to remind you to make sure that Bonnie is back in her own bed _by the time that everyone gets up in the morning_. To be in the safe side, you should set your alarm for about half five or six at the latest, so that she is not embarrassed if Nick, Sam or one of the minis sees her." Edward said quietly.

Jackson groaned as he face palmed and groan but he nodded before looking at his father.

"I'm… we're not going to do anything… I'm mean it's not like that, well it is for me, but we're just getting to know each other – not like that! I" he stammered.

Edward put a hand on his shoulder, "I know that you like her and she seems smitten with you as well and I know that you will show her respect, so I just want to make sure that you do that by making sure that she isn't embarrassed by your siblings or your parents seeing her coming out of your room at an inappropriate hour, okay?"

Jackson bit his lower lip and even though he was a carbon copy of his father, Edward saw Bella in that moment.

"Thanks Dad, I won't let you down."

"Night Son."

"Night."

Edward smirked as he heard Bonnie's soft voice as Jackson opened his door, "Are we in trouble?"

"No! No, little B, nothing like that, I told you, my parents just want to make sure that I look after you…" It seemed as though both of his oldest children were falling in love at the same time and he wondered if that had something to do with them being twins.

Edward walked down the quiet hallways and he said a silent but fervent prayer for his children's safety.

He knew that if the situation with Darryl wasn't resolved soon, he was going to have to tell Bella and he dreaded that but they had promised that there would be no more secrets and so his knowledge weighed heavily on his mind as he wrapped his arms around his wife that night.

_Please God, keep them safe… please._

*ΩafloΩ*

**A/N: First of all I owe you all a huge apology for taking so long to update. In the past two months, I've had to find a new job, one of my kids has been in all sorts of trouble and unfortunately my mind has not been on writing! BUT the good news is that things on the home front seem to have settled down, I am settling into my new job and so – thank goodness, I can write again! I'm not kidding; it's taken me almost 3 weeks to write this chapter! So, please forgive me and I promise to begin work on the next chapter right away!**

**Thank you all for reading and reviewing this story, I really appreciate it and special thanks to famagiolo, my wonderful beta and friend for keeping me on track and encouraging me to carry on.**

**Tons of hugs,**

**justginger**


End file.
